Future-proof your business: Simple ways to start using AI now

According to Teddy Russell, PhD, Senior Insights Analyst at Target, the businesses that win in the next five to ten years won’t be the biggest — they’ll be the most adaptable. Artificial intelligence (AI) will be at the heart of that adaptability. Here are some clear, actionable ways that entrepreneurs can start putting AI to work today – and in the process, future-proof their business. 

Emails and communications 

If you’re sending outreach emails, partnership proposals, grant applications or customer service replies, guess what? Generative AI can help you draft all of them. Tools like Google Gemini (especially if you’re already a Gmail user), ChatGPT and Perplexity AI are intuitive and accessible entry points. 

“It’s a great way to get your bearings with these tools. Just don’t skip the human proofread,” Teddy notes. With that in mind, leverage AI to write that first draft, and then make sure to build in time to edit it for tone, context and accuracy. 

Learning and upskilling 

Whether you’re learning to code, exploring marketing trends or trying to understand regulations, AI can act as your research assistant and on-demand tutor. Here are some tools that can act as your go-to’s: 

• Claude is a strong pick for those diving into code

• Gemini and NotebookLM excel at summarizing dense materials and even turning them into podcasts for passive learning. 

• Perplexity delivers AI-powered search results that go deeper than traditional search engines. 

Says Teddy, “You can use these tools to synthesize knowledge quickly and keep your skills sharp as your business evolves.” 

Creativity and ideation 

Looking for fresh product ideas, campaign themes or partnership strategies? AI can help push your brainstorming sessions into overdrive. “The more ideas you generate, the more likely you are to get to something brilliant,” Teddy says. “AI helps you move past the obvious and into the original.” 

One of the biggest misconceptions? That AI always gets it right. “People tend to trust the output too quickly,” Teddy warns. “Gen AI can fabricate information and confidently deliver it as fact.” 

This is where the concept of “human in the loop” comes in. Always review and refine what AI provides. Think of it as a collaborator, not a final decision-maker. 

Another myth? That AI is replacing people in the workforce. AI is best at structured, repetitive, labor-intensive tasks — not the nuanced, relationship‑driven, creative thinking that small business owners (like you!) bring to the table. 

Teddy suggests breaking implementation into a four-step process: 

1. Identify the processes that AI can support.
2. Research the tools best suited for those needs.
3. Train yourself (and your team) to use them well.
4. Scale, measure and optimize over time

“Think of it like learning a new language,” Teddy says. “You’re still speaking English, but you’re learning how to communicate with something that doesn’t have human context.” 

And here’s something to remember: Repetition matters. The more you practice using AI tools, the better and faster you’ll get at prompting, refining and getting results you can actually use. AI is evolving faster than any technology in history — faster even than smartphones or social media, so being informed is essential for staying one step ahead. 

To help you get into always-on student mode, Teddy recommends the following resources: 

• Podcasts like AI Daily Brief, Two Minute Papers and Matt Wolfe’s YouTube channel for digestible updates.  

• YouTube creators who break down AI news and research for both beginners and tech-forward thinkers

• Daily or weekly habits of checking in with trusted sources

“This technology is changing weekly,” notes Teddy. “If you don’t stay curious, you’ll fall behind.” 

Teddy closes with a powerful reminder: “The same principles apply to your real life. If you have kids, you should absolutely be learning these tools, because this tech will be even more central to their lives than it is to yours.” 

In other words, you don’t have to master it all today — but you do need to start. The businesses that thrive in the coming years won’t just be the most profitable; they’ll be the most adaptable and AI is how you build that muscle. 

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