E1 Curiosity & Local Empowerment

“Curiosity & Local Empowerment ”

If you tuned in to Wake Up Calgary this morning, you heard a whirlwind tour of two of the biggest forces shaping our work lives today: artificial intelligence and cybercrime. The show took us from the excitement of generative AI as a strategic brainstorming partner to the stark reality of ransomware-as-a-service, which threatens every business, big or small. Whether you run a boutique coffee shop on 16 Avenue SW, a tech start‑up in the Beltline, or a family‑owned service firm, the insights shared by AI expert Rebecca Boltzmann, cyber‑security pros Stephen Nichols and Vince Phung, and even the culinary story of Mina’s Brazilian‑style steakhouse are all clues on how to stay ahead, stay safe, and stay human. Below are the most actionable lessons you can walk away with and start applying today.

1. Treat AI as a thought partner, not a fact‑checker

Rebecca reminded us that generative AI can do far more than churn out a paragraph of copy. Its real power lies in helping you think bigger: draft strategy outlines, spot hidden trends in years of sales data, and generate fresh ideas when you feel stuck.

But there’s a catch: AI is a creative engine, not a search engine. Its output can “hallucinate,” mixing truth with invented details. The safest workflow is to let the model spark ideas, then verify every claim before publishing or making decisions. In practice, run the AI‑generated content through a quick fact‑check or ask a colleague to review it. This keeps your brand credible while still harvesting the speed advantage AI offers.

2. Preserve your authentic brand voice

Listeners learned that customers can instantly detect when copy feels robotic. A study cited by Rebecca showed people are more likely to disengage if they suspect a piece was written by a machine. The solution? Blend AI assistance with your unique tone. Use the model to draft, then edit to inject your personality, humor, or local flavor. Think of AI as the raw dough and you as the baker who decides whether the final loaf should be sourdough, rye, or a sweet cinnamon twist.

3. Spot trends faster than your competition

One of AI’s most underrated abilities is its capacity to digest massive data sets in seconds. Feed it a decade’s worth of social‑media metrics, sales numbers, or market research, and it can surface emerging patterns you might have missed. For Calgary businesses, this could mean recognizing a growing demand for locally sourced ingredients (as seen in Mina’s popularity) or detecting early signs of a shift in consumer sentiment toward sustainability. Use AI‑driven trend analysis to adjust product lines, marketing messages, or inventory before the market catches up.

4. Adopt a three‑tiered approach to ethical AI

Rebecca broke ethical AI into three layers:

1. Individual responsibility – Question every output, especially when it touches sensitive topics. AI models have been trained on biased data and can reproduce harmful stereotypes if unchecked.

2. Organizational governance – Build policies that require human oversight, bias‑mitigation checks, and accountability logs for AI‑generated decisions.

3. Societal stewardship – Support industry standards and public regulation that keep AI development transparent and safe.

Start small: create a checklist for anyone who publishes AI‑assisted content. Include items like “Has a human reviewed for bias?” and “Is the brand voice intact?”

5. Recognize that cybercrime is now a universal threat

Stephen Nichols and Vince Phung painted a vivid picture: ransomware used to be a weapon only nation‑states could afford; today, it’s a ransomware‑as‑a‑service product you can rent from the dark web. Even a six‑person firm in North York can be crippled overnight, with attackers demanding a few thousand dollars, an amount that can devastate a small business’s cash flow.

Key takeaways:

• Don’t assume you’re too small to be a target. Attackers scan for any vulnerable “door” , whether it’s an outdated software version, a weak password, or misconfigured cloud storage.

• Back up, back up, back up. Keep offline, encrypted copies of critical data, and test restoration regularly.

• Patch promptly. Apply security updates as soon as they’re released; the window between vulnerability disclosure and exploit can be measured in days.

6. Leverage Managed Service Providers (MSPs) for cyber hygiene

Both experts emphasized that security is a specialized skill. Small businesses can’t realistically become experts in everything from network architecture to threat hunting. Partnering with an MSP or Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) gives you:

• Continuous monitoring and rapid incident response.

• Proven security frameworks (e.g., ISO 27001, NIST) without the overhead of building them in‑house.

• Guidance on compliant AI usage, data privacy, and ransomware preparedness.

Think of an MSP as the “security guard” that watches the doors while you focus on opening new ones for customers.

7. Balance AI convenience with human connection

Stephen warned that AI is already being used as a “companion” or even “therapy” tool. While it can be helpful, over‑reliance may erode real‑world relationships. Keep a digital‑detox routine for yourself and your team—scheduled offline times, face‑to‑face meetings, and community events (like the local food festivals featured later in the show). Strong human bonds are the ultimate resilience factor when tech fails.

Conclusion

The Wake Up Calgary episode delivered a clear message: embrace the power of AI and cybersecurity, but do so deliberately and ethically. Use AI to amplify creativity, uncover hidden opportunities, and speed up routine tasks, always with a human eye on accuracy and brand integrity. Simultaneously, treat cyber‑threats as a constant reality, protect your data with backups, patches, and trusted security partners, and never forget the value of genuine human connection.

By integrating these practices, Calgary’s entrepreneurs can turn today’s disruptive technologies into sustainable advantages, keeping their businesses thriving, trustworthy, and ready for whatever the next innovation or cyber‑storm brings.

Ready to start? Grab a notebook, list the three AI tasks you’ll outsource this week, schedule a backup drill, and reach out to a local MSP for a quick security health check. The future is already here; let’s navigate it together.

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Rebecca Bultsma
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Stephen Nichols
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