Meet Carol, a 91-year-old magician in her retirement community, known to other residents as “Magic Carol.” His neighbors marvel at his ability to add color to old black and white photos, remove busy backgrounds, correct wardrobe mistakes, and hilariously put his face on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s body.
The secret behind his magic is artificial intelligence. With AI, Carol creates engaging storybooks and picture books to help her fellow citizens remember each other, all thanks to her iPhone.
Carol’s story is part of a larger trend: the democratization of technology. What once required skilled professionals is now accessible to hobbyists, small business owners, and everyday people. This AI-driven shift is not only changing how we edit images, but who has the power to do so, and is reshaping many fields in ways we are only beginning to understand.
AI opens doors to new capabilities
My co-founder Eliot and I started Photoroom to democratize photo editing. We wanted to put the power of great photography in the hands of the masses, not those with technical skills or expensive software.
What we didn’t fully expect was how much AI would change not only the “how” of photo editing but also the “who.”
In the early days, we thought of Photoroom as a tool for small business owners, marketers, and creatives who needed great visuals but didn’t have the resources to hire professional photographers and designers. But as our user base grew, we saw a very diverse group that embraced our technology. Carol is one of thousands of people using AI.
With a human-centered approach, AI doesn’t just make photo editing easier; it opens doors to people who never thought they could produce professional visuals.
Empowering small business owners
Sarah, now 19 years old, started her business Cowgirl Clutch in July 2020 at the age of 16. He told us that AI has had a significant financial impact on his business in terms of savings, sales, and profitability.
He started experimenting with Photoroom from the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey and now uses it to create professional images for SMS and email marketing and repurpose content quickly by changing backgrounds. Sarah told us that AI helps her express her creativity, and her AI images generate more sales than other product images.
These types of small businesses are the backbone of many economies, and there is a global revolution powered by AI tools to help spur innovation, job creation, and economic growth.
According to the latest data from the US Small Business Administration, 33 million businesses in the US qualify as small businesses, making up 99.9% of all businesses in the country.
McKinsey’s small business report confirms that micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are the lifeblood of economies around the world. In the 16 countries surveyed, MSMEs contribute two-thirds of business employment in advanced economies and nearly four-fifths in emerging economies, as well as half of all value added.
Whether it’s for photo editing or other tasks, freelancers like Sarah need tools that improve creativity and productivity. High-quality visuals, video editing, and even creating custom songs are no longer just for big companies with big budgets. Thanks to AI tools, small businesses can now thrive alongside the big players.
AI is a catalyst for change in every industry
Photography is one of the industries democratized by AI. Now you can create and edit your videos with tools like Mojo or CapCut, customize the soundtrack with AI (like we did in our recent campaign with OkCupid), and use voice AI tools like Talkio to present your project in a language you don’t speak . let’s talk.
ChatGPT helps people write code without experience, or create recipes based on what’s in their fridge, among many other things. Robo-advisors make it easier for individuals to manage their portfolios, which were previously “supervised” by financial advisors.
This change not only raises important questions about the future of work and the skills that will be needed but also the challenges and opportunities for businesses developing AI tools due to the changing audience.
Many AI companies are building the first tools for experts, which leads to a steep learning curve for anyone else. But by taking a human-first approach and developing AI tools that solve problems people face every day, businesses can reach a global audience with a wider demographic. AI should simplify complex things so that people like Carol feel like “magic.”
The future of AI is human-centered
What excites me most about the future of AI is the potential to facilitate new opportunities for small businesses and make creative and financial freedom available to ordinary users around the world, especially those who prefer to engage with mobile-first technology.
Regardless of the industry, the “who” behind the work could change dramatically in the coming years, making human-centered AI focused on solving user problems rather than technical problems more important than ever. It can be the difference between companies that will survive and thrive.
As leaders, it is our responsibility to guide this change in a way that benefits everyone. The main focus of AI should be to accelerate creativity or productivity rather than replacing humans. Here are two simple ways to make this change in your business:
- Put the user first. Start from your users’ pain points and develop an AI architecture to solve their specific problems. This also means creating an easy-to-use, mobile-first interface that anyone can learn to use in minutes.
- Make AI accessible. The biggest danger is having a divided society with people empowered by AI and those left behind. Making AI accessible to everyone means providing free versions, availability in multiple languages, and making it easy to use so that anyone from children to retirees can use it.
Ask yourself these questions:
- How can AI enable more people to do something they couldn’t do before?
- How can AI break down barriers and create new opportunities?
- How can we ensure that our AI processes are fair and inclusive?
The answers could reshape your industry.
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