Last week the IPBN dived into the essentials of getting started with AI, understanding what tools and strategies work best, and how to approach adoption in a way that fits your unique needs. We asked our registered members to bring their questions and ideas, and get ready to engage with fellow IPBN members and explore how AI can work for you, and here's what we uncovered.

IPBN members Elaine Godley, Jo James, Barbara Monahan, Brendan O'Neill, Jose Nunes, Mark McSorley, Shane Leahy, Dietmar Goetz, Kenneth Canney, Gerard Smith, and Estela Sargento joined the IPBN’s Mastermind online meeting with IPBN members Carlos Justino and Loren B. Jenkins from Lionheart Business. The session focused on the theme of "AI for SMEs" and aimed to demystify the role of artificial intelligence in small and medium-sized enterprises.

Arnold Delville led the meeting, highlighting the need for businesses to prioritize business value over technology. Expert presentations from Carlos and Lauren addressed common confusion about AI, while Elaine Godley and Dietmar Goetz shared practical applications, such as AI in health research and event automation.

The meeting addressed challenges businesses face in adopting AI, including anxiety and the need for targeted implementation rather than broad adoption. Participants discussed various AI tools for marketing, graphic design, and personalization, emphasizing specific business needs. The session concluded with action items, including the publication of success stories and forming an AI discussion group, fostering ongoing collaboration and support among members.

Carlos explained the concept of hyper-personalization in marketing using AI and further led a discussion on the importance of understanding customer data and behaviors. Brendan O'Neill raised concerns about anxiety towards AI adoption in businesses, turning the conversation to investigate the parallels between AI adoption and previous cloud adoption challenges.

There was an emphasis on coming to grips with a proper understanding of AI capabilities, focusing on specific business challenges rather than broad AI concepts. Shane Leahy inquired about using AI for speed and accuracy in quoting for his tour operator business, which led the moderators to explore the potential of AI agents or companions for automating business processes, highlighting the importance of using a gradual, focused approach to implementing AI solutions.

We recommend keeping your eyes open for our next members-only mastermind session!