Month: June 2024

Originally published on Inc.

By Emily Wheeler

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, generative artificial intelligence is a cornerstone of innovation and growth for companies of all sizes. From enhancing customer experiences to optimizing marketing and operational efficiency, the potential of GenAI is vast and transformative. With this power, however, we must ensure that GenAI is used ethically and responsibly.

As outlined in our newly released 2023 Sustainability Report, GoDaddy leaders understand the significance of responsible AI, which is why we remain vigilant in encouraging ongoing dialogue and minimizing risks posed by GenAI such as misinformation and algorithmic bias.

Acknowledging the potential impact of AI

For small businesses, embracing responsible AI means recognizing the technology’s effect on customers, employees, and society. It also means ensuring GenAI systems are designed and utilized in ways that are ethical, unbiased, and respectful of individual privacy. GoDaddy’s January 2024 survey of more than 500 U.S. small business owners found that entrepreneurs are embracing GenAI and increasingly using it to run and grow their ventures.

But, in recent years, there have been numerous examples of AI gone awry, from biased hiring algorithms to discriminatory loan-approval systems.

Despite concerns, GoDaddy’s survey found that apprehension is low among small business owners. Eighty-nine percent of respondents said they are not worried about negative consequences associated with using AI technology for their business–a rise from May 2023 (83 percent).

Central to responsible AI are several key principles that should guide small businesses in their GenAI endeavors, including:

Fairness ensures that GenAI systems do not discriminate against individuals or groups based on factors such as race, gender, or socioeconomic status.Transparency requires that businesses are open and forthcoming about how GenAI is being used and the potential implications for stakeholders.Accountability means owning AI outcomes, ensuring accuracy, and addressing unintended consequences, including the potential for fabrication or hallucination.Privacy is paramount; businesses must uphold the confidentiality and security of data used in GenAI applications.

With these principles in mind, entrepreneurs can confidently get the most out of GenAI technology.

Implementing responsible AI practices requires a concerted effort

There are some practical steps that small business owners can take to support ethical AI use:

Never enter sensitive or confidential information. Anything entered may be used to train the AI models and in ways out of your control.Always manually review AI-generated content for accuracy, bias, and potential plagiarism. Fact-check all claims and citations. GenAI responses may be dated, fictional, or violate intellectual property laws. Use your judgment or consult a legal advisor.Adapt content to your brand. Ultimately, you understand your business and audience best. Use GenAI as a starting place, but edit content to align with your brand personality and business goals. This practice may lower your risk of accidental plagiarism, too.

By taking these steps, small businesses can harness the power of GenAI for innovation and competitive advantage in a way that aligns with their values and commitments to responsible business practices.

Small businesses are paving the way

GoDaddy’s global social impact program, Empower by GoDaddy, offers digital tools, mentoring, and networking to help entrepreneurs in underserved communities succeed and has provided valuable insights and feedback from program participants on the adoption of GenAI technologies.

Phoenix, Arizona-based Ade McCray, founder and CEO of Pilates King, learned how to use GenAI tools to assist in developing his business plan while participating in Empower by GoDaddy.

“Empower by GoDaddy was most helpful to me in regard to advertising,” said Ade. “I learned the best practices when it came to using GoDaddy Studio and AI chatbots, which assisted in problem-solving, as well as helping me formulate and fine-tune ideas I had for my business.”

This year, Empower by GoDaddy launched a new course dedicated to helping entrepreneurs harness GenAI capabilities, which includes a section about limitations and responsible use of AI.

GoDaddy’s AI initiatives have enabled innovation while upholding commitments to ethical and sustainable business practices

In 2023, we announced GoDaddy Airo, a GenAI-powered intelligent experience that proactively builds and helps entrepreneurs grow their online businesses, simplifying our customers’ journeys. As these technologies evolve, a council dedicated to AI and machine learning governance will help oversee our efforts, ensuring appropriate guardrails and risk management measures are in place.

By embracing responsible AI practices, we not only safeguard against potential risks but also pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable future. As entrepreneurs embark on their own AI journeys, we encourage them to prioritize ethical considerations and join us in building a future where AI works for everyone.

Emily Wheeler is a senior manager of corporate sustainability and ESG at GoDaddy and inclusive entrepreneurship expert where she oversees Empower by GoDaddy, a global social impact program dedicated to supporting underserved entrepreneurs with digital tools, mentorship, and networking.

On June 14, 2024, AEG’s Tamala Lewis, Senior Director of Community Relations, Dignity Health Sports Park, received the Legacy Trailblazer Award from California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute for the contributions she has made to improving the lives of Black women and girls in Los Angeles.

Lewis was presented the award during the 2024 California Trailblazers Hall of Fame Awards where she was joined by 80 other honorees who have served as catalysts for positive change throughout the state of California.

Cedric “The Entertainer” and his wife Lorna Kyles, served as co-chairs for the event which was also attended by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.

The Trailblazers Hall of Fame is the first awards program that highlights the contributions of Black Women leaders in the state of California. Past honorees include Hon. Karen Bass, Hon. Maxine Waters, Tia Orr, Crystal Crawford, and Yolanda Richardson.

The California Trailblazers Hall of Fame Awards Celebration supports the work of the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute which focuses on improving the lives of Black Women and Girls. The California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute is focused on improving the lives of Black Women and Girls throughout the state. To learn more, visit www.CABlackWomensCollective.org.

By Kriti Singh and Caitlin Odom (both of RMI)

More and more companies are committing to electrify their vehicle fleets to help drive urgently needed decarbonization of the transportation sector. But to deliver on transportation electrification targets, fleet operators must consider bringing on a new partner: utilities.

Until now, many fleets — primarily made up of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles — have had very limited electric service needs, and therefore no reason to interact deeply with their utilities. But as fleets look to electrify, they need adequate charging infrastructure to be available to plug in their vehicles. Moreover, fleets and utilities must ensure that planning for charging infrastructure happens on a timescale that is compatible with electrification targets: electric cars and trucks can be ordered much faster than utilities can typically plan and build new infrastructure. An unintentional disconnect between fleets and utilities created by the huge complexity of both transportation and electricity networks, and a potential lag in new grid investments, threaten to stall vehicle electrification. But fleets and utilities can become leaders in the emerging vehicle electrification space by tackling this challenge together.

With thousands of electric vehicle fleets gearing up to hit the roads, and thousands of utility jurisdictions responsible for planning, coordination, and collaboration, vehicle electrification is no easy feat. It requires not only a deep understanding of each other’s operations, but also a forward-looking view on how transportation electrification will play out across the U.S. With RMI’s new GridUp tool, robust data and analytics will inform proactive utility–fleet collaboration by forecasting power demands from vehicle electrification, showing how power will need to be distributed over geography and time. Let’s look at the critical considerations that fleets and utilities need to make when collaborating and how they can leverage GridUp to help them proactively plan.

For fleets and utilities to effectively work together to support electrification at the pace needed, they must bridge gaps in information sharing. Increasing avenues for data sharing through intentional collaborations will enable utilities to gain clearer insight into fleet electrification plans now and, in the future, provide the necessary infrastructure support required for large scale electrification that fleets desire. Further, both fleets and utilities will need to adopt new expertise and planning capabilities.

From a fleet perspective, incorporating utility engagement into their planning process requires developing new expertise within their operations. Fleets must understand how to effectively engage with utilities by creating an understanding of the following:

How local utilities work in each of the geographies in which their fleets operateWhat kinds of data utilities need from fleets and how to gather and share this dataWhat a utility interconnection process looks like and how to navigate itHow utilities are regulated and what they can and cannot do

From a utility perspective, servicing electric vehicle charging infrastructure requires a new type of planning, which makes information sharing more important. Electric vehicle fleets differ from loads that utilities are used to accommodating in how they operate, what equipment they use, and what functions they carry out. Unlike buildings-related loads, fleets demand electricity in bursts, creating peaks of electricity demand on the grid. However, fleets are also uniquely flexible in shaping what that demand looks like.

For example, an electric truck fleet that is able to charge at night, when power demand is usually lower, will be much easier to accommodate than a fleet that charges at peak hours. Sharing this information with utilities upfront would enable utilities to provide information about cost and timeline implications for building make-ready infrastructure and fee structures for charging. Furthermore, if peak charging loads can coincide with lower overall usage of the grid, fleets may be able to electrify and charge today without having to wait for new grid capacity to be developed. This process – known as flexible interconnections – allow depots to draw more power from the grid when overall demand is low. When fleets proactively assess their charging and energy demands, utilities can better understand how those demands fit into overall grid operations and determine the most efficient, cost-conscious path to connecting them with the needed charging infrastructure.

Incorporating information sharing at multiple points of the planning process can increase efficiency. RMI’s GridUp tool can help streamline the process of information sharing from fleets to utilities. The tool can provide utilities with aggregate data showing how the grid will be impacted by charger use. As a result, utilities can also plan for how to prepare the grid for growing efforts to electrify all sectors of transportation. As the EV revolution kicks into the next gear, it’s critical that utilities and fleet operators work together to ensure that necessary upgrades and new infrastructure constructure happens in the most time and cost-effective way.

FedEx Cares reproduced this article with permission from RMI. The GridUp tool and Electrification 101 article series are supported by a generous grant from FedEx.