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How Black entrepreneurs are using ChatGPT to level the playing field

Shondale Atkinson in a pink sweatshirt saying Serendipity Community Care smiling with two books open on a table about plants.
Whitney Barkley
Shondale Atkinson, owner of Serendipity Community Care in West Dayton.

Small businesses in West Dayton are increasingly using ChatGPT, leaning on the AI tool to automate tasks like customer service and content creation without hiring additional staff. Two-thirds of local Black-owned businesses have fewer than 10 employees, giving this tech tool an opportunity to an asset for their business.

Shondale Atkinson, the founder of Serendipity Community Care, started her business after finding relief from lupus symptoms through medical marijuana. Inspired to help her community with herbal therapy, she turned to ChatGPT to assist in her business operations.

Initially, Atkinson was apprehensive about using AI, concerned about job displacement and data security.

"Before, it was like a fear," Atkinson said. "Is it taking over my job? Will people still need me? And then I was also concerned about security with AI, so I was hands-off. Now, I can't help but get on board. I've gone to a couple of trainings, but I'm still pretty lost."

"To those on the west side and in the African American community, please explore your options with AI. It can help your business and give us a level playing field."

Despite her initial reservations, Atkinson found that ChatGPT could serve as a valuable assistant, helping her create a wellness manual for her customers.

"I'm able to talk directly to AI and tell it to function as my assistant in creating this herbal manual," she said. "I can go back and forth with AI to make corrections, and it's been great."

Juanita Darden, a business consultant offering strategic planning workshops, shares Atkinson's enthusiasm. Darden has been leveraging AI for about a year, finding it invaluable for her solo operations.

"I've found myself being a team of one on many occasions," Darden said. "Using AI gives me a personal assistant, a publicist, and a marketing person."

Last fall, Darden discovered ChatGPT while preparing for a workshop. After spending months researching and creating materials, a friend introduced her to the tool.

"He said, 'Oh, let me show you this.' In 90 seconds, my workshop basically popped up on his screen. It showed me that it is a helpful tool, and I've been using it ever since," Darden said.

ChatGPT's utility extends beyond personal assistance, addressing broader challenges faced by Black entrepreneurs. Black businesses receive less than 2% of venture capital funding and are denied business loans at twice the rate of their counterparts, making tools like ChatGPT critical.

Chataun Denis, a local grant writer, uses ChatGPT to help Black business owners craft compelling narratives and business plans for grant and loan applications. She emphasized the importance of digital literacy in the Black community to maximize the tool's benefits.

"Many aren't strong in computer skills," Denis said. "Helping people, especially older generations, understand and not fear ChatGPT can help them in their daily business activities and alleviate some of the fear."

Atkinson offers a final piece of advice to Black business owners hesitant about AI.

"It's tough when other cultures venture into AI and computer technology, and we're too afraid to explore it," she said. "To those on the west side and in the African American community, please explore your options with AI. It can help your business and give us a level playing field."

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Whitney Barkley serves as the community voices producer at WYSO, bringing local stories to life through her work. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media/Communications from Wilberforce University and a Master of Science from Franklin University.