Using AI at Work: AI in the Workplace & Generative AI for Business Leaders 73: Using AI at Work for Small Business Adoption and Team Alignment with Maria Elena Duron
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Oct 13, 2025 Maria Elena Duron, a fractional Chief AI Officer and marketing strategist, shares her insights on AI adoption for small and mid-sized businesses. She emphasizes the importance of building AI councils and having robust policies to manage risks. Maria discusses how to engage teams and ease fears about AI, and the necessity of aligning AI projects with executive goals. She advocates starting with simple, manageable pilots and using tools like Notebook LM to empower teams, providing a practical roadmap for leaders navigating this transformative journey.
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AI Is A Structural Business Shift
- Maria Elena Duron compares AI's arrival to the early internet and social media shifts that altered marketing permanently.
- She argues AI is not a fad but a structural business change requiring strategic adaptation.
Learning Social Media Under Fire
- Maria recounts launching into social media consulting in 2008 while platforms were new and volatile.
- She learned to operate 'under fire' by supporting politicians and managing 24/7 social media demands.
Shadow AI Is Already Happening
- Maria notes widespread shadow AI use: employees bring personal tools and accounts into work without approval.
- This creates unseen data and security risks even when leadership asks teams to pause adoption.