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More than 30 Metrocrest-area business owners packed a Farmers Branch conference room March 31 with the same question on their minds: Is my business already behind on AI?
The Metrocrest Area Chamber has partnered with Dallas College to launch an AI Certification Series for small business owners and operators, and the first session drew more than 30 attendees ready to cut through the hype.
The six-part Lunch and Learn series kicked off March 31 at The Meeting Place in Farmers Branch, covering AI basics, real-world small business applications and how to use tools without putting your data at risk. Sessions run through August.
“Believe me, we are committed to AI,” said Konley Kelley, project leader of business development & employer outreach for Dallas College.
The program is designed for business owners who don't have a tech background, just questions. Topics across the series include workflow automation, prompt development, data security and scaling AI across an organization. Dallas College will award a certificate and nine continuing education credits to participants who complete all six sessions.
Adjunct professor Brian Diggs, who is founder of Webs App America, said North Texas is “extremely competitive” when it comes to technology, and that businesses should take advantage of local resources to stay ahead.
For the first class, Diggs focused on teaching business owners how to identify repetitive tasks that AI can speed up and make easier and how to measure and evaluate the results. He recommended considering what users can do better to improve their prompts to improve their outputs.
He emphasized that AI did not mean no-human touch. He said people are important for quality control.
Session 2 was Tuesday, April 7. It focused on hot to use AI to increase profitability and in-depth discussion on how to increase the quality of prompts for different tasks.. The worksheet included a starter prompt library.
Remaining classes will be May 13, June 2, July 8 and August 12. There will be a make-up class for the first class.
Bertina Green, membership relations director, said that people can attend any or all classes as they are available, but must attend all to gain certification.
Attendance is free for chamber members; non-members pay $5. Bring your own lunch.
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