Emily Jenkins
Dominion Payroll was honored to host nearly 100 guests and community partners at our first Tampa area Lunch & Learn event - NAVIGATING THE FUTURE: AI's Impact on the Modern Workplace. The panoramic views from the 42nd floor of The Tampa Club provided a warm welcome to our inquisitive guests, all eager to delve into the world of artificial intelligence.
Watch the full presentation here.
In order to discuss such an intimidating topic, we knew we needed to enlist a few leading industry experts to guide us into the unknown waters of AI.
Our Speakers
Cordes Owens, the CEO and Founder of Bake More Pies, is an esteemed leader in the digital marketing and technology solutions industry with nearly 30 years of experience. Recently honored as the Tampa Chamber Small Business of the Year for 2023, Owens has also been an active member of the AI Caucus for the Tampa Chamber. Recognized by Forbes and PC Week for his internet expertise, he has held executive roles at leading Tampa agencies, where he crafted highly technical solutions for a diverse range of clients, including startups, Fortune 100 companies, and government entities. His visionary leadership continues to drive innovation and excellence at Bake More Pies.
John Toner, the Vice President of AI at Bake More Pies, is a distinguished expert in artificial intelligence and automation. Holding AI certifications from Microsoft and IBM, Toner has developed advanced customer support bots and AI-driven solutions. His previous role at American Express saw him lead data analytics for their gift card and reloadable divisions, overseeing significant annual sales. As the founder of SynergyWiz, a company specializing in VR, e-mobility, and mobile computing, he has demonstrated his innovative prowess and secured multiple utility patents in high tech. Toner’s extensive expertise and commitment to advancing AI make him an invaluable asset to Bake More Pies.
Navigating the Future with AI
It is highly recommended to watch Toner and Owen’s entire presentation – as their expertise in this complex field truly shines! However, as a quick takeaway, here are some very quick suggestions for those willing to dip their toes into using AI tools today:
General Prompt Guidelines
When interacting with an AI chat program, here are a few tips to make sure your results are as valuable as possible.
- Provide Context
- Define Clear Objectives
- Ensure Clarity and Precision
- Include Examples
- State Any Constraints / Preferences
- Test and Iterate
- Natural language is the new programming language
Ready to surcharge your prompts? Toner recommends a few key phrases that will help you get better responses from your AI interactions.
Here are some examples:
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Please research before you answer.
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Make sure to be a cautious reasoner when responding.
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Think through your answer step by step, and double-check your work.
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If you don’t know the answer, please tell me you don’t know.
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To solve this problem, use Tree of Thought reasoning.
What is next for AI?
When the audience had a chance to ask questions, so many of the answers referenced back to the idea that this is the ‘Wild-West’, newly explored territory and an arms race to win. Technology is moving so quickly, there is no way to know where and how quickly it will progress. However, Toner and Owen offered something critically important to ground ourselves when considering a future alongside AI. It cannot recreate the human experience.
Creating and fostering relationships with others, professionally and personally, is something that technology cannot replicate. The true human experience is what we can all focus on and continue to build and expand our networks.
At Dominion Payroll, we strive to do just that! Through our events and community program, we know that the true value is where we live and work.