Getting to the plAIn, brAIn truth about this AI trAIn!

It is everywhere, isn’t it? You can’t go more than about 10 minutes without some news story highlighting it on whatever platform you consume news.  It’s in your grocery store, your bank, restaurants, your coffee shop, and more.  Of course, I am talking about…COVID19… AI. (Sorry, I thought I was in 2020 again for a moment.) I feel like singing that age-old spiritual, “AI in the morning, AI in the noontime….AI, AI,…AI ‘til the sun goes down!”

But what does it all mean for the layperson?  Spell it out for the non-techie person. Can I benefit from it?  Is it still just something college students are using to write their papers for them?  Or are there true business efficiencies that can help small businesses save time and money?  And if there are those true efficiencies, how do I implement them?  

And then there is the age-old question (since AI is so old) of which AI to use: ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, other(s)?  Questions, questions, questions. “Grok” has to win the award for weirdest name, but since AI is weird, why not?!

We, here at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, feel your pain.  It is a lot to digest, and it changes constantly.  Therefore, to help guide our businesses through this maze, we are assembling an all-star group of professionals to lend true expertise.  We will kick this off with our First Friday Breakfast on Friday, November 7, 2025.  We will host a panel discussion on ALL things AI.  Our panelists are consultants, marketing professionals, IT experts, finance pros, and more.  Their businesses range from solopreneurs to one of Carlsbad’s largest employers (Thermo Fisher Scientific).  If you have never joined us for a First Friday Breakfast, now is the time. The breakfasts are open to all North County businesses: members and non-members alike. You can register at www.Carlsbad.org – click on Events – then navigate to November 7 and click on the First Friday Breakfast link.  

In January, we will be hosting a series of workshops dealing with all aspects of AI.  Some of the topics that will be covered include: Getting Started with ChatGPT; AI and Security Issues; AI in the Microsoft Suite; AI and Finance; The Environmental Impact of AI; and more.  Some of these workshops will be hands-on, while others will be more presentation/discussion-based. Lucy Kelleher, a Board member at the Chamber and the Founder of Keep Them Loyal, noted, “The panel discussion and workshops planned highlight the Carlsbad Chamber’s commitment to helping members and the wider community adopt AI responsibly, strategically, and sustainably.” 

If you would like to help shape what AI topics we cover in 2026, join us at the November First Friday Breakfast, as we will be surveying our attendees for input.  This is your chance to weigh in and help us help you.  Kind of like what AI is supposed to do.  At least, I think that is what it is supposed to do. Well, I guess we’ll find that out together.  BTW, AI did NOT help write this article (except researching the name of Grok)!