Charlottesville, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – On Chamber Live with WINA Morning News, Grant Tate of BTX Consulting shared his insights into how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming local businesses. As a longtime member of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, Tate emphasized the opportunities and challenges AI presents. 

Tate, who has worked in consulting for 20 years, highlighted his early exploration of AI starting in November 2022. “When OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, they had 100 million people sign up in a short time,” he recalled. “It was free, really free, and I started using it, experimenting with it, and… it’s extremely useful.” 

Drawing from his decades with IBM, including work on the revolutionary personal computer, Tate sees parallels between past technological shifts and today’s AI advancements. “When AI hit, I go, ‘Oh my gosh, here we go again,’” he said. “ AI program as it exists today can analyze data, you can put in a picture, it will analyze the picture for you. It will draw pictures for.“ 

However, Tate stressed the importance of ethical use. He recommends businesses establish clear policies and ensure human oversight to prevent errors or misuse. “We say stop at the do equation. You know for instance I can ask it to write an e-mail, but I don’t want it to send the e-mail until I’m looking at it.,” he advised. 

As businesses increasingly adopt AI, Tate urged leaders to embrace the technology, warning, “If you don’t, your competition will.” 

Listen to the full conversation here: