Artificial intelligence is showing up in classrooms, workplaces, and websites, and plenty of us on the Suncoast are still not sure what it actually is. Neil Johnson, a professor of physics and data science at George Washington University, offers a plain explanation. It is computer hardware and software trained on everything ever put online, able to join the dots between what it has seen. Building that takes enormous money, which is why only a handful of companies dominate the field.
The practical takeaway is simpler than the technology. Johnson says job security goes to the person who knows how to use AI tools and can oversee them. That means asking a tool a question, checking its answer, and staying in charge of the final call. The human element, he says, will always be needed alongside these systems. Think of it as a competitive tool rather than something to compete against.
Local businesses from Bradenton to Venice could benefit from that mindset, whether it is a shop writing product descriptions or a nonprofit drafting volunteer emails. You do not need a degree to start. Pick one tool, ask it something you already know well, and judge the answer for yourself. That habit of questioning and overseeing is the skill employers are looking for.
Have you tried an AI tool yet, and what did you ask it? Let us know in the comments.
