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BELTON — For years, artificial intelligence has largely been associated with chatbots, writing assistance and internet searches. But during the second session of Prairie View A&M University Extension’s Business Innovation Development (B.I.D.) Academy, entrepreneurs learned that AI can be much more than a digital assistant — it can become a strategic business partner.
For a long time, artificial intelligence was narrowly perceived as merely chatbots, writing aids, and tools for enhancing internet searches. However, the recent session of Prairie View A&M University Extension's Business Innovation Development (B.I.D.) Academy unveiled a much broader potential for AI. Entrepreneurs attending the academy discovered that AI can evolve from a simple digital assistant into a powerful strategic business partner, capable of driving significant transformation. This shift in perspective is crucial for small businesses looking to leverage cutting-edge technology not just for efficiency, but for competitive advantage and sustainable growth in an increasingly digital marketplace. The academy aims to reframe the understanding of AI, encouraging participants to explore its deeper, more integrative capabilities.
Clyde Hardin, co-founder of Hardin Enterprise Services LLC, shared a compelling personal anecdote about his initial skepticism towards artificial intelligence. He candidly admitted to once "hating AI" and not considering himself an "AI person." Yet, through practical application, AI has profoundly changed his life and, more importantly, revolutionized his business operations. His company's journey serves as a powerful testament to AI's transformative power, illustrating how even initial resistance can evolve into enthusiastic adoption once its true strategic value is realized. Hardin’s experience underscores the importance of an open mindset when evaluating new technologies and highlights how AI, when properly integrated, can become an indispensable part of a company's daily functions and overall success. This evolution from skepticism to reliance is a common narrative among businesses that successfully adopt new technologies, especially one as disruptive as AI.
Hardin challenged entrepreneurs to move beyond a transactional relationship with AI, where it merely answers isolated questions, towards a more "relational" approach. In a relational model, AI remembers past interactions and business-specific information, allowing it to provide highly detailed, personalized, and contextually relevant responses. He emphasized that if an AI system doesn't retain and recall information about a business over time, it remains purely transactional. This deeper engagement enables AI to perform specialized tasks more effectively. For example, Hardin has developed multiple AI "Gems" within Google's Gemini platform, each tailored for a specific function. One Gem constantly monitors government procurement websites for contract opportunities that perfectly match his company's certifications and capabilities. This automation significantly reduces the manual effort and time spent sifting through hundreds of pages of legal and technical jargon in government solicitations, allowing his team to focus on strategic execution and proposal development rather than tedious data collection.
The academy highlighted several practical applications of relational AI in business. Beyond identifying contract opportunities, other specialized AI assistants analyze lengthy Requests for Proposals (RFPs), distilling hundreds of pages of legal and technical language into concise summaries. These summaries highlight critical deadlines, required documents, compliance issues, and potential risks, vastly simplifying the proposal preparation process. A third AI assistant cross-references completed proposals against solicitation requirements to catch any missing information or compliance gaps before submission, preventing disqualifications. These AI-powered tools dramatically reduce the time Hardin's company spends on reviewing government documents, which often exceed 100 pages and are filled with complex specifications. By streamlining these repetitive and labor-intensive tasks, AI frees up human capital to concentrate on higher-value activities such as strategy, innovation, and relationship building. The effectiveness of these AI applications, Hardin stressed, hinges entirely on the quality and specificity of the data provided to the AI. Businesses must feed the AI with their exact capability statements, equipment inventories, certifications, service areas, and performance data to generate accurate and valuable responses.
Tanya Hardin, Clyde's business partner, demonstrated a different yet equally impactful application of AI within their company. While Clyde focuses on government contracts, Tanya utilizes AI to actively seek out grants, sponsorship opportunities, and non-profit funding sources. This division of labor, powered by AI, allows them to simultaneously explore multiple avenues for business growth. Her AI assistants are adept at identifying relevant funding opportunities, drafting initial versions of grant applications or sponsorship letters, organizing research materials, and compiling comprehensive sponsorship packets for potential donors and organizations. This strategic use of AI across different funding streams illustrates its versatility and capacity to support varied business objectives. Tanya emphasized that AI doesn't replace human decision-making but rather augments it, freeing up valuable time for building crucial relationships and pursuing additional growth opportunities that would otherwise be consumed by manual research and administrative tasks. This enables a more agile and responsive approach to securing financial resources.
The B.I.D. Academy session concluded by addressing audience questions covering topics like marketing, privacy, and community development. Regarding privacy concerns, Clyde Hardin advised entrepreneurs to avoid inputting highly sensitive personal information into AI systems when using them for operational or business-related data management. He drew a parallel between the current rapid adoption of AI and the early days of the internet, suggesting that businesses that embrace and learn to integrate AI now will be significantly better positioned for future growth and competitiveness. He encouraged attendees to view change not with fear, but as an opportunity for evolution. The overarching message was clear: AI is not just a tool but a fundamental shift in how businesses can operate. By automating routine tasks, simplifying complex processes, and identifying new opportunities, AI empowers small businesses to adapt more quickly to a dynamic marketplace, fostering innovation and resilience. The academy aimed to equip entrepreneurs with the mindset and practical examples needed to make AI an integral, valuable member of their business team.