AI+ SF Summit: SMBs face "big barrier" to using AI tools safely

SAN FRANCISCO – Implementation of new AI tools needs better usage of AI training on the front end — something small to medium-sized businesses in particular need to adopt, several attendees at Axios' Expert Voices roundtable said Dec. 17.

Why it matters: Businesses need upfront training to responsibly implement AI in a secure manner.

• "Are these businesses prepared for the additional risk that they're taking on?" asked California chief technology officer Jonathan Porat.
• "I'm not sure if small businesses … are really investing in security or preparing for emergency or disaster," Porat added.

Plus, a lack of training and information is a "big barrier to entry" to taking advantage of AI tools for all businesses, Slack Senior vice president of research and analytics and head of workforce lab Christina Janzer said.

• Without training and knowledge, "people just don't feel like they have the proper competence to be able to get started," Janzer said.
• Janzer added that people need to have time to experiment with AI in their workflow to make an informed decision, and build confidence in the technology.

Adoption of AI will depend on individual businesses having access to tools that can help determine if AI's use will "pass the gut check," said HopSkipDrive chief product and technology officer Corey McMahon.

• "You can't just trust that they're going to trust the system or the tools. You have to give them the capability to actually evaluate it," McMahon said.

Yes, but: There's "significant innovation" within SMBs that helps bring "parity" with some larger companies in California, Porat said.

• Porat says implementing AI takes a ton of upfront investment.
• "It doesn't really make sense for some of these multibillion dollar companies to invest in very specialized solutions. So that really opens up a lot of opportunity for smaller businesses to really focus on a specific policy area or area of interest that it wouldn't make sense to invest all that data into," Porat said.

The details: Intuit sponsored the event, where tech, government and business leaders gathered for a private roundtable at Axios' AI+ SF Summit to discuss how SMBs are navigating the opportunities and challenges of applying AI.