There is an all too common misconception in the world of business, and it’s that the latest and greatest innovations and applications in technology are only for the biggest players. Sure, the major brands have more resources to throw at such technologies, but being so large means that change can be extremely disruptive and difficult to apply on a broad scale.
Small businesses actually have a great advantage when it comes to emergent technologies. Being more nimble, working with smaller systems and teams, and having a more refined corner of business enables SMBs to jump on new tech if there’s a willingness to do so. From the North Penn Valley to York County, small businesses should be looking to exploit these surging technologies that are battling to shape their futures.
Google is desperate to win the artificial intelligence race. Of course, the mega company isn’t the only one, with all of the major players across Silicon Valley and China seeing it as a kind of winner-takes-all scrap right now. They’ve already integrated their Gemini program into their devices and Chrome, but realize that the way forward it to get it into the hands of businesses of all shapes and sizes.
As such, Google used the AI Horizons Summit in Pittsburgh on September 11 to announce the new Pennsylvania AI Accelerator. The program is purely to help promote the use of AI within small businesses across the state, featuring a collection of no-cost resources. As a result, Google should be able to get more small businesses to utilise and feed their AI program while also enabling them to access this potentially game-changing tech.
Training sessions can be signed up for via Grow.Google. They feature a series of live and hands-on workshops, courses on prompting essentials and how to use Google AI, and Google Career Certificates are up for grabs. Businesses can upskill their workforce with these courses that pertain to project management, cybersecurity, and data analytics without experience being a prerequisite to joining a course.
Live streaming is mostly utilised as a form of social entertainment in Western markets right now, but it’s bubbling up as a novel and appealing side option that’s generating clicks. Take, for example, the entertainment sites that revolve around slots online. In online casino gaming, slots are, by far, the most popular game type, with hundreds added each year to expand the already massive libraries of hits like Cleopatra, Fishin’ Frenzy Even Bigger Catch Jackpot King, and Lucky Lemons.
However, seeing this technology bubbling up, the online slots platform has been integrating live streaming to raise the profile of its other games and even create live versions of slot games. Buffalo Blitz Live, for example, creates an immersive, real-time gameplay experience with a human host that features a huge in-studio version of the classic slot game.
This is the most mainstream interactive application of live technology right now, but eCommerce has proven its worth in the Far East. Stores and independent sellers are beginning to make use of live streaming to sell to customers online. Creating engaging shopping events that tap into the fear of missing out with surprise deals and limited edition goods can create a unique selling point, especially for a small business, as it’s still niche.
Creating an immersive live shopping event schedule and leveraging AI to promote behind-the-scenes functionality can greatly buoy SMBs in Pennsylvania. Both technologies are battling for users, and businesses should embrace ways of leveraging this.
