Raymond Calore |
Owner and president, BCI Computers
1. What is the target audience for your new book, “AI: The Great Disruption”? People who aren’t tech experts but [who] are curious or concerned about AI [artificial intelligence]. They’ve seen headlines about ChatGPT, deepfakes, job automation, or robots and want to understand what it all means for their lives, families and careers.
2. How prepared are most small businesses for the so-called AI revolution? In short: woefully underprepared. While large enterprises are already integrating AI into operations, marketing, customer service and analytics, most small and midsized businesses are still trying to understand what AI even means for them.
3. In what ways have policymakers, the business sector, or the general public failed to adequately prepare for the AI revolution? Most people – including politicians and executives – think AI’s full impact is decades away. In reality, we’re seeing monthly breakthroughs (e.g., GPT-4o, Sora, autonomous agents) and deployment at scale across sectors. This creates a dangerous lag between what’s happening and how fast we’re responding. We’re treating AI like the internet in 1993 – when it’s already 2007. The train is moving, and most people are still standing on the platform.
4. What industries will be the most disrupted by technology? One, customer service and call centers. AI chatbots and voice agents (like GPT-4o) now handle inquiries faster, cheaper and 24/7. Entire call center operations in India, the Philippines and the U.S. are at risk of being replaced or downsized. Multilingual AI support is removing language barriers that once protected human roles. Two, retail and food service. Self-checkout, robotic kitchen assistants and AI baristas are becoming mainstream. Chains like McDonald’s are piloting fully automated drive-thru. Shelf-stocking robots and inventory-prediction AI reduce the need for floor staff.
5. With much of the focus on the negative impacts, what are some of the positive attributes of AI becoming part of everyone’s everyday life? AI systems can analyze medical images, lab results and health trends faster and more accurately than humans. [It can help with] independence for the elderly. AI-powered android companions and robots can help seniors: cook meals, remind them to take medication, assist with mobility and bathing, monitor health metrics in real time and provide emotional support through conversation and entertainment. Elderly individuals can stay in their homes longer rather than entering assisted living. Also, AI can simulate and test new medications in silico (digitally) before human trials, cutting R&D [research and development] time from years to months.
