My Honest Take on AI: How I Use It in My Business (And What It Can Never Replace)
My Honest Take on AI as a Tech & Systems Expert
I've been building websites, systems, and automations for small businesses for 9 years now, and I've watched many tools come and go. AI is not one of those passing tools. It's changing how we work, and I don't think pretending otherwise helps anyone.
But I also think a lot of the AI conversation right now is stuck between two extremes: either it's the answer to everything, or it's the thing that's going to destroy the world (yeah…sorry, but we’re already on our way to that anyway…I mean, seriously, where are the zombies already?!).
Neither of those feels true to me. So here are my honest thoughts, as someone who uses AI regularly in my business and also thinks pretty deeply about what it costs us to use it.
Why This Conversation Matters
If you're running an online business, you're probably already using AI in some form, whether that's drafting emails, researching a competitor, or asking a chatbot to help you troubleshoot an issue. The question isn't really whether to use AI. It's how to use it in a way that serves your business, your clients, and your own thinking, instead of working against all three without you noticing.
That's the lens I want to use as we talk about this.
The Not-So-Secret Costs of Using AI
Before I get into the ways I use AI, I want to name the parts of this conversation that are quite controversial and the reason many people are very anti-AI. In the end, you do you. Do what feels good to you, and there is never judgment here! The bottom line, though, is that using AI starts with understanding what it costs, not just what it saves you.
The Environmental Cost of AI
This one matters to me personally. I'm a nature lover, and I think a lot about the footprint of the tools I use every day, AI included.
Here's what the research shows, and it's more nuanced than the scary headlines suggest. A single AI query uses a relatively small amount of energy and water on its own. Some studies put a typical query at around 0.3 to 3 watt-hours of energy, which is roughly the equivalent of running a lightbulb for a few minutes, and somewhere between 30ml and half a liter of water depending on the study and the data center involved. For comparison, an hour of video streaming or a Zoom call can use several liters of water and considerably more energy.
So on an individual, one-off basis, asking AI a question isn't the environmental disaster it's sometimes made out to be, especially compared to things like video streaming, which most of us do all day without a second thought. The real concern is scale. Billions of queries a day, plus the massive data centers being built to support them, add up to a genuine environmental footprint that's worth paying attention to.
My take: this isn't a reason to avoid AI entirely, but it is a reason to use it intentionally instead of carelessly.
A few ways to lower your impact:
Batch your questions instead of firing off a dozen small ones. Give AI a detailed, thoughtful prompt instead of testing it with quick one-liners.
Choose the right tool for the task. You don't need to generate an image or run a complex model for something a quick search could answer.
Treat AI like a resource, not a reflex. If you wouldn't leave the water running for it, don't leave the AI tab open for it either.
The Intellectual Cost of AI
This one, to me, is less about AI itself and more about how we use anything that gives us an easy answer. When you rely completely on a tool to give you all the answers and do all the thinking, you stop using your own reasoning skills, your creativity, and your ability to challenge your own thinking. That's true of AI, and it was true of Google before it. Hell, it’s even true of calculators! And it'll be true of whatever comes after AI.
So I try to use it very intentionally, as a strategic partner rather than a replacement for my critical and strategic thinking. That means when I sit down to write this blog, as an example:
Doing a brain dump of my own thinking first, before I ever open a chat window, so the ideas start with me.
Giving detailed, specific prompts instead of vague ones, and going back and forth instead of accepting the first answer. (i.e., telling it what the goal of this blog post is and the journey I want my audience to have)
Treating the output as a draft to revise, not a final post to copy and paste.
Still doing a good amount of work on my own without using AI at all. Not only does that keep my brain sharper, but it helps me remember what I enjoy about writing AND the work that I do as a whole, since I’m often writing about the work I’m passionate about.
Used that way, AI keeps your brain in the loop instead of taking it out of the equation.
6 Ways I'm Using AI in My Business Right Now
With all of that said, here's where AI earns its place in my day-to-day work.
Research. When I'm digging into a new tool, platform update, or troubleshooting question, I'll give AI a detailed rundown of what I'm looking for and go back and forth with it, then cross-reference what it gives me against real sources to make sure the information holds up. It's less "ask and accept" and more "ask, verify, and refine."
Automating. This is one of the places AI shines. It can help you map out an automation from start to finish, troubleshoot why a Zap isn't firing the way you expect, or suggest a smarter way to connect two tools that weren't talking to each other. It won't build your business systems for you, but it's a genuinely useful thinking partner when you're untangling a workflow.
Content drafting. I want to be someone who can just sit down and write, but if I'm honest, writing for my business is something that just makes my brain shut down. It’s not a task I enjoy, and therefore, it’s one I end up avoiding. What's worked for me is customizing a project or GPT (more on that in a second) with my voice, preferences, and business knowledge, then using it as a thought partner. I give it an outline, and we work back and forth from there. It keeps me engaged and moving instead of stuck staring at a blank page.
Quick explainer, in case this is new to you: a custom "project" or "GPT" is essentially a saved space inside an AI tool where you can upload your own information, like your brand voice, past writing, FAQs, or offers, so the AI has that context every time you use it, instead of starting from scratch in every conversation. This is typically mostly available with paid versions of ChatGPT, Claude, etc.
Code.I build a lot of websites, and I often need custom code to make something work exactly the way I want it to. I can read and write basic code myself, but for anything more advanced, AI has become one of my go-to resources for getting it right.
Tech troubleshooting. I love digging into the tech side of my clients' businesses, but every so often I hit something I can't solve on my own. After I've done my own research and testing, turning to AI for a second opinion has saved me hours more than once.
Structuring ideas and building SOPs. I'm a linear thinker, but I can still struggle to organize information clearly, whether that's breaking a process down into a clean SOP or turning a messy brain dump into something usable. AI has become a real time-saver here, both for my own business and for the systems I build with clients. And when it saves me time, it saves my clients money too.
What AI Can Never Replace in Your Business
Here's the part I feel most strongly about. AI can't hold space with my clients the way I can. It can't get to know someone over years of working together, catch the hesitation in their voice on a call, or sense when a client is overwhelmed before they've even said so. It only knows what's been shared with it. I have years of lived experience, actual relationships, and specific history with the people I work with, and none of that can be replicated by a tool.
It's also missing genuine enthusiasm. When I get excited about a client's launch or a system finally clicking into place, that's real, and clients feel the difference. Human connection, person-based reasoning, and the judgment that comes from knowing someone's business inside and out are not things AI can offer, no matter how good it gets.
The Bottom Line: AI Is a Tool, Not a Business Strategy
AI can save you time, help you think, and take some of the friction out of running your business. But it's a tool, not a strategy, and definitely not a replacement for the human relationships and judgment your business is built on.
If you're not sure where AI fits into your systems, or you want a second set of eyes on your tech stack before you start layering in new tools, a Tech Audit is a great place to start. AI is a great tool to help with the research and content development in your business, but nothing can be a skilled pair of human eyes and ears to see and hear your needs!
