AI in Business & Economic Development—What You Need to Know Now

Ignore AI at Your Own Risk—Here’s Why Leaders Are Paying Attention

​If you’re still treating AI like some futuristic tech reserved for Silicon Valley billionaires, I have news for you:

• AI isn’t coming—it’s already here. And the smartest business and economic development leaders aren’t waiting for permission to use it.
• While some are still debating if AI will be a game-changer, others are quietly using it to streamline operations, make better decisions, and gain a serious competitive edge.

The question isn’t if AI will impact your work—it’s how fast you’ll adapt.

Three Major AI Trends You Can’t Ignore

1. AI is becoming your smartest employee—not just a tool.

Forget gimmicky AI chatbots and robotic auto-replies. Businesses and EDOs are now training AI on their own proprietary data, turning it into a specialized assistant that understands their industry, organization, and challenges. Companies leveraging AI this way aren’t just improving efficiency—they’re making faster, smarter, data-driven decisions that would take humans weeks to analyze.

Want to see AI in action? Try this simple AI prompt:
"Analyze business relocation trends in [your region] and recommend three AI-driven strategies to attract companies in [industry]."

More actionable prompts like this? Subscribe to [The AI Edge] for the full list.

2. The cost of doing nothing is rising.

AI-driven organizations are cutting costs, improving productivity, and scaling faster than ever before. Meanwhile, those who ignore it? They’re working twice as hard for half the results.Refusing to adapt to AI today is like refusing to use email in the 2000s—it won’t kill you immediately, but it will make you irrelevant sooner than you think.

Want to know how AI can improve workforce planning, sales growth, and grant writing? The latest edition of [The AI Edge] includes custom prompts to help business and economic development leaders get real results.

3. AI-powered economic development is a game-changer.

From investment attraction to workforce planning, AI is giving economic developers an unfair advantage in identifying trends, targeting high-value businesses, and predicting economic shifts before they happen.EDOs that integrate AI into their strategy are already seeing faster deal flow, better business retention, and more accurate workforce forecasting—giving them the upper hand in a rapidly changing landscape.

​AI is Here—Are You Ready?

AI isn’t about replacing jobs—it’s about amplifying your ability to work smarter, drive impact, and lead the future of business and economic development.

Next up: We’re covering 3 AI Tools That Will Save You Hours Every Week—so you can work smarter, not harder.

Want the full set of AI prompts & insights? Subscribe to [The AI Edge] for weekly AI strategies designed for business and economic development leaders.

What’s your take—are you already using AI in your organization, or are you still on the fence? Drop a comment and let’s talk.