Around 40 businesses converged in Merimbula on the 14 August, for an event focused on the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in to business operations. The event, hosted by the Bega Valley Business Forum and supported by Telstra, offered attendees an overview of AI’s potential to have a substantial impact on their industries.
Christina Cawkell, Telstra’s Regional Engagement Manager for the ACT & Southern NSW, presented an overview of AI, the various platforms available and, talked about the Ethics of AI. “It’s important to implement AI in a considered and ethical way to avoid unintended consequences. Best practices are evolving, but the eight AI Ethics Principles, developed by the Government with input from Telstra, cover key areas to consider, such as fairness, privacy and security.”
She further advised businesses to start by asking, “What problem are you trying to solve?” when considering AI technology. “AI is still a new area of technology for many businesses, and it’s changing fast. Almost half of SMB owners think that businesses like theirs will need more support to really benefit from what AI can offer.”
According to Telstra’s “Tech State of Play Report,” businesses see AI making significant contributions in areas such as content creation, data analytics, marketing, customer service (e.g., chatbots), social media management, cybersecurity, customer experience (e.g., virtual shopping assistants, augmented reality), financial management, eCommerce, and HR, hiring & recruitment. The report also identified the top concerns for business owners, including time constraints and challenges in finding the right staff—both of which AI can potentially address.
Nigel Ayling, President of the Bega Valley Business Forum and host of the event, remarked, “We view AI as a tool to support local businesses by freeing up time or helping to find the right staff. It’s not how it can replace jobs, it’s about making life easier for small business owners.”
A particularly striking statistic from the report is that 64% of businesses already using AI believe that those who fail to adopt AI within the next five years will struggle to remain competitive. “If you’re here today, you’re already ahead of the curve,” Ayling noted. “Early adoption of AI gives you a competitive edge, which is crucial in today’s business landscape.”
The presentation was followed by a Panel Discussion with local experts, Travis White from Solutions 4 Chat and Liam O’Dibhuir from floquet.ai. The panel offered practical insights into how businesses across various industries can effectively integrate AI into their operations. It was noted that even the examples and presentations shared at the event were crafted using AI, through prompts in ChatGPT. Travis White gave a demonstration of a customised chat bot that had been created for the South Coast Ale Trail website which answered questions in real time, using voice recognition. He also highlighted the chatbot’s capacity to collect data on user inquiries, providing valuable insights for the website owner. “This level of insight into user behaviour is something traditional websites can’t offer,” White explained.
Reflecting on the event’s success, Ayling said, “We were thrilled with the level of interest and engagement from attendees. We’re now considering establishing a community learning group where people can further explore AI, share ideas, and collaborate to enhance the capabilities of local businesses.”
