How AI is Transforming Industries: Critical Insights from Morgan Debaun & Panel

Summary

Market Mondays: How AI is Transforming Industries – Critical Insights from Morgan Debaun & Panel

Released on April 20, 2025, by EYL Network

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Introduction

In this illuminating episode of Market Mondays, host Ian Dunlap engages with esteemed media expert Morgan Debaun and a panel of industry analysts to delve deep into the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across various industries. The discussion navigates the impending shifts in the job market, the eradication of certain roles, the creation of new opportunities, and the practical application of AI tools in business operations. This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions drawn during the episode.

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The Inevitable Transformation: AI’s Impact on Industries

Community Member Inquiry [00:58]: A community member raises a pressing concern: "For those who may hear a statement, like you said earlier, that the AI is going to take over an industry, what solutions or advice would you give to those who may be a little bit terrified that are in our community?"

Morgan Debaun’s Response [01:09]: Morgan doesn't mince words, stating, "You got to get out. I mean, I'm not going to sugarcoat it." He compares the current AI revolution to the digital disruption experienced by the magazine and newspaper industries decades ago, emphasizing that change is inevitable. Morgan highlights how media moguls once held immense power by controlling distribution channels, but today, technological advancements have shifted that power to billionaires invested in tech. He underscores the importance of the community understanding the stakes involved with AI and taking proactive steps to stay relevant.

Industry Analyst’s Perspective [02:08]: Following up, an industry analyst poses a two-part question:

1. What industries are likely to be eradicated by AI?
2. Which industries present new opportunities amidst this transformation?

Eradication of Traditional Roles [02:15]: Morgan bluntly affirms, "It's over," referring to sectors like graphic design and video editing. He elaborates that roles such as project managers, coordinators, executive assistants, and other repetitive administrative functions are on the brink of obsolescence due to automation. "All that stuff's about to be automated," he comments, painting a clear picture of the sweeping changes AI will bring.

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Emerging Opportunities in the AI Era

Opportunities in Critical Thinking and Cybersecurity [02:57]: When the conversation shifts to burgeoning opportunities, Morgan identifies critical thinking as a highly valuable skill. He explains that while AI can process vast amounts of information, the ability to make strategic and critical decisions remains irreplaceable. "Knowledge becomes a commodity in a different way," he notes, suggesting that everyday individuals empowered with AI tools can excel as solopreneurs or in roles like fractional CFOs and legal advisors.

Cybersecurity as a Growth Sector [02:57]: Addressing the analyst’s second question, Morgan highlights cybersecurity as a burgeoning field. With the increasing reliance on digital platforms, protecting data and systems becomes paramount, presenting significant opportunities for professionals in this space.

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Adapting to the AI Revolution: Strategies and Actions

Proactive Engagement with AI [03:13]: Morgan emphasizes the necessity for individuals and businesses to actively engage with AI technologies. He points out that remaining passive will result in being left behind as the AI-driven landscape evolves. "More people will be self-employed for sure," he predicts, indicating a shift towards flexibility and independence in the workforce.

Empowering the Community [04:27]: Morgan stresses the importance of the community embracing AI tools to maintain competitiveness. "You need somebody who knows how to work the specific AI product or tool that has that domain expertise," he advises, advocating for specialized knowledge to leverage AI effectively.

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Practical Application of AI in Business Operations

Impact on Morgan’s Media Business [04:20]: Transitioning to real-world applications, Morgan shares how AI has revolutionized his media company. "My employees are probably sick of me because we run a training every Thursday," he admits, highlighting the extensive integration of AI in daily operations. He describes the implementation of an AI tool built on ChatGPT’s API, which significantly enhances content creation:

• Efficiency: "It pops out an article that's already SEO optimized, keyword optimized and everything. And the output is like 40% better than if a human wrote it without it being AI supplemented and faster."
• Quality: The AI-generated content surpasses human-written articles in both quality and speed, demonstrating AI’s potential to augment creative processes.

Top AI Tools Utilized [07:01]: Morgan outlines the key AI tools his business employs:

1. Google Suite (Gemiini): Enhances email communication and meeting summaries.
2. ChatGPT Enterprise Version: Safeguards private information while providing advanced AI capabilities.
3. Salesforce and Slack Integration: Streamlines communication and project management.
4. Asana: Utilizes AI for task management and productivity.
5. Canva: Recent upgrades have significantly improved design capabilities.

“We're a Google suite company. So we use gemiini," Morgan explains, detailing how these tools collectively foster a more efficient and accountable work environment. He notes the elimination of roles like Executive Assistants, as AI now handles tasks such as note-taking and meeting summaries, thereby reducing the need for certain administrative positions.

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Conclusion: Embracing the AI-Driven Future

Morgan Debaun’s candid discourse underscores the profound and irrevocable impact of AI on various industries. He advocates for proactive adaptation, continuous learning, and strategic utilization of AI tools to thrive in this evolving landscape. By embracing AI, individuals and businesses can not only safeguard their relevance but also unlock new avenues for growth and innovation.

Notable Takeaways:

• Inevitable Change: AI will automate and eliminate numerous traditional roles across industries.
• Emerging Opportunities: Critical thinking, cybersecurity, and specialized AI tool expertise are key areas for growth.
• Practical Integration: Leveraging AI tools enhances efficiency, quality, and accountability in business operations.
• Community Empowerment: Active engagement and education on AI are essential for staying competitive and fostering entrepreneurship.

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This episode of Market Mondays serves as a crucial guide for investors, professionals, and community members aiming to navigate and capitalize on the seismic shifts driven by AI. Morgan Debaun’s insights provide a blueprint for adapting to and thriving in an AI-centric world.

Transcript

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[Community Member]

For those who may hear a statement, like you said earlier, that the AI is going to take over an industry, what solutions or advice would you give to those who may be a little bit terrified that are in our community?

[Media Expert]

Oh, you got to get out. I mean, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. You know, it's no different than people who were in the magazine industry and the newspaper industry and then digital came along. Of course you're always going to have that, like the stragglers that are going to make it. But you know, 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago, the most problem moguls in our country were media moguls. The people who owned the distribution channels and owned the newspapers. Those were the most powerful people in the city. Now media companies are owned by billionaires as toys, you know, so. And they didn't get rich from the media company, they got rich from technology. So yeah, I think you can decide to play the game or the game is going to just keep going and then you're going to be, you know, stuck. So I really think it's important that our community understands what's at stake with AI. I mean, you guys talk about this all the time, so I know everybody watching this gets it. The question is like, what actions do you take to get up to speed?

[Community Member]

Yeah.

[Industry Analyst]

You know, so what industries, I have a two part question. What industries do you think is going to be eradicated by AI?

[Media Expert]

I mean, you guys see all these graphics, all these illustrations? It's over.

[Community Member]

It's over.

[Media Expert]

It's really been over. I mean, that took Them what, four months?

[Industry Analyst]

Yeah, that's a fact.

[Media Expert]

Graphic video editing, gone. I mean even distribution, I mean probably even for this show, there was a time when you guys might have had two, three people responsible for poor getting the piece of content here and then scraping it, putting over here and putting it over here. All that stuff's about to be automated, you know, so even project managers, coordinators, project coordinators, executive assistants, all those kind of like repetitive administrative functions, gone.

[Industry Analyst]

And the second part of my, my question is, okay, what industries do you see as like this is to get into? Like, could we talk about cyber security? That's something that's big, right? That's only going to get bigger. Like where's the opportunities?

[Media Expert]

Yeah, it's thinkers. It's people who can do critical thinking. And you know, I think there was a time when we would pay a lot of money for critical thinkers. Right? Like you're a CEO, a CRO, you're at the top of the food chain. You're paid a lot of money because you have all this expertise and all this domain expertise and all this knowledge. So you're supposed to be paid the highest. That actually with AI goes down because now AI has all this historical knowledge the same way that somebody who was, you know, the leader of a company for 5, 10, 15 years. So knowledge becomes a commodity in a different way, which means that everybody should have access to be a strategic and critical thinker. So what happens when you start to get the everyday person able to process huge amounts of information and make really smart decisions when before they didn't even have access to that information? I think more people become solopreneurs and more people are trading and bartering. I think that um, more people will be self employed for sure. Even things like fractional CFOs or fractional, you know, roles, those things. Like all those people who used to be employed to be illegal in house legal. In house legal.

[Community Member]

Or CMOs.

[Media Expert]

Or CMOs. You need.

[Community Member]

Yeah, they're in trouble.

[Media Expert]

Gone. Okay. You need somebody who knows how to work the specific AI product or tool that has that domain expertise built into it to ask that person effective questions and have that AI agent ask effective questions and then give that information back to you.

[Host]

Morgan, I appreciate your brutal honesty and.

[Community Member]

I love the candidate.

[Host]

You fit it right in with this audience. Right. Like it's over. We're not playing no games with these people. I want, as you're saying it, I'm wondering as AI is developing over the, and really coming to the forefront over the last two to three Years.

[Media Expert]

Yeah.

[Host]

How has it changed your business? Right, because you're in media, right? Like it feels like you're com like saying these things off the head, like, yo, I did that, I did that. How much of an impact has had on you?

[Media Expert]

Oh, so much. I mean we talk about it every day. My employees are probably sick of me because we run a training every Thursday, an AI training that anybody at the company can join, where we go through the tools. I get reports every week on who's using AI at the company, how much, who's our highest users. I'm on it. So you know, to me I'm like, whether you stay at Blabity forever or you don't, it's my responsibility to, especially as a company that employs mostly black and brown people, like it's my responsibility to make sure you have the tools to decide to participate or not. I'll give you an example. You know, we used to have probably 100 plus writers. You know, we own five brands across different industries. Travel Travel Noir Shadow and Act Entertainment. Afro Tech, which is, you know, 10x size of traffic than black enterprise in terms of business news, education. So we had a lot of experts and it would take people, you know, a week to write 5, 10 articles. People are not able to get to 5, 10 articles in a day because we built an AI tool built on our thousands of libraries of archives with the voice of our brands. Each library has its own voice. And we built a tool on top of that using ChatGPT's API to then allow you to input your information, input all the research you did, put it into the system and then it pops out an article that's already SEO optimized, keyword optimized and everything. And the output is like 40% better than if a human wrote it without it being AI supplemented and faster.

[Community Member]

Yeah, yeah.

[Host]

And it's all, I think that's important.

[Community Member]

Yeah. In your business, what are like the top three or top five AI tools or LLMs that you're using in your business?

[Media Expert]

So we are, we're a Google suite company. So we use gemiini, I think on a day to day, you know, I'm trying to get my team to get more advanced with their prompting. You know, they're using a very basic level. So right now, you know, they use it in their email where it'll make suggestions for your emails. They'll use it for summaries of meetings. We use Google Hangouts so Jim and I can be in there for notes. I mean I used to have an EA that just sat at meetings to do notes. We don't need that role. It's gone. Right? Like, that's gone. So note taking for everybody. You know, it's interesting is that it's actually really helping with truth. You know, there's no he said, she said anymore. Like what happened in that meeting. No, he said. You can't say Susie said this and Devon said this because it was written in every meeting. Right. So the accountability level is also much higher. We use ChatGPT, the, the enterprise version, because we have a lot of, you know, private information, so everybody has access to. And then we use Salesforce. So Salesforce owns Slack. Slack is our digital headquarters. So all of our Salesforce and Slack is integrated. And then we use Asana, which has really good AI tools on top. And then Canva, I mean, Canva just changed the game with their drop last week.

[Community Member]

Amazing.

[Media Expert]

Very excited about that.

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