How AI is Driving Job Creation, Not Destruction, According to Bill Canady on The Modern Customer Podcast

Bill Canady, a recent guest on Blake Morgan's Modern Customer Podcast, offered a truly refreshing and optimistic take on the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on job creation. Countering the widespread fear that AI will lead to significant job losses, Canady asserts that he's "hiring more people today because of AI than I was before."

Canady clarifies that AI isn't eliminating valuable jobs; instead, it's assisting with "low dollar jobs." This allows individuals to "free themselves up, upskill themselves, make more money, and they're much more in demand today." He emphasizes that people are now "able to embrace that technology" to their benefit.

To illustrate his point, Canady provided a concrete example from Elmhurst University, where he serves on the board:

• The university faced a significant challenge: recruiting students globally meant handling inquiries in over a hundred different languages. This task was previously cost-prohibitive and nearly impossible to manage effectively, often requiring the hire of various difficult-to-manage services.

• By implementing an AI chatbot specialized for universities, at an approximate cost of $200,000, Elmhurst University can now seamlessly communicate with prospective students worldwide. A student in China, for instance, can send a request by voice or chat and receive information back in their desired language—something that "five years ago we couldn't do that at all."

• The result? Elmhurst University's global enrollment is growing at a "differential rate" year over year, at a time when many other schools are not. This growth, directly enabled by AI, not only helps the university but also supports the local economy and expands the student body. Canady points out that businesses are "using these tools to grow their businesses whereas before they just had no answer at all."

Canady underscores that AI isn't a distant future concept; "it's here," integrated into everyday tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Office Products with Co-pilot. He notes that often, the first interaction with a company or hospital is now through some form of AI, such as a chatbot.

This view offers a compelling counter-narrative, suggesting that AI acts as an enabler for growth and upskilling, ultimately leading to more sophisticated and in-demand human roles.

To hear more from Bill Canady and his insights on the 80/20 Rule, leadership, and driving business growth, be sure to listen to the full episode of the Modern Customer Podcast!