RALEIGH, NC – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted a Small Business AI Forum at Murphy's Naturals in partnership with The Loading Dock in Raleigh, North Carolina. The event was a stop on the Chamber’s Free Enterprise Express Opportunity Tour, a national six-week bus tour promoting free enterprise.
U.S. Chamber Senior Vice President Courtney Felts and Senior Vice President of Small Business Policy Tom Sullivan led the forum, which brought together local small business leaders and regional chamber representatives to discuss how artificial intelligence is changing the way small businesses operate and grow.
The conversation highlighted findings from the Chamber's newly released Empowering Small Business: The Impact of Technology on U.S. Small Business report, which found that 47% of small businesses say AI is creating jobs at their firms, compared with just 6% that report headcount reductions. The nearly eight-to-one advantage in job creation over job reductions turns the conventional wisdom about AI on its head.
“Small businesses in North Carolina and across the country are using AI to boost productivity, drive growth, and better serve their customers,” said Felts. “Our research shows that entrepreneurs are putting these tools to work to strengthen their businesses and communities. To keep that momentum going, we must preserve a free enterprise system that encourages innovation and allows businesses to grow and compete.”
The national Free Enterprise Express Opportunity Tour is a six-week trip through 20 states and more than 50 events to make the case for free enterprise in communities across America and push back against growing support for government-directed economic policies that threaten economic freedom, opportunity, innovation, and growth.
The effort is part of a broader Chamber initiative, the New Fight for Free Enterprise, a multi-year effort to organize, mobilize, and make the case for free enterprise everywhere public opinion is shaped, public policy is made, and future generations learn what it takes for people and communities to thrive.
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About Murphy's Naturals
Murphy’s Naturals is a CPG manufacturing company known for its natural mosquito repellent products, and it manufactures 85% of its products in Raleigh.
About The Loading Dock
The Loading Dock is a coworking and Cowarehousing business with three local collaborative workspaces serving entrepreneurs, small businesses, freelancers, and remote professionals.
About the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business organization representing companies of all sizes across every sector of the economy. Our members range from the small businesses and local chambers of commerce that line the Main Streets of America to leading industry associations and large corporations. For more than 114 years, we have advocated for pro-business policies that help businesses create jobs and grow our economy.
