Leveraging artificial intelligence was the theme at the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s joint meeting of its Manufacturers’, Technology and Aerospace Councils on Thursday.
“We are actually in the 1980s of AI,” security technology expert Jerald Dawkins said, alluding to the technology’s evolution. “Most companies, I know you’re watching the news, and you feel like you’re behind...The reality is, you’re not. Everybody’s trying to figure this thing out. Everybody’s experimenting in today’s world.”
Dawkins, chief innovation officer and co-founder of the software company DAIS, kicked off programming for the meeting, which drew more than 60 attendees to Greenheck Group.
The event also featured a panel discussion headlined by Kenny Statton, founder and CEO of MST Manufacturing; Michael Tate, founder and chief operating officer of Infinite Composites; and Dan Marticello, president and CEO of CymSTAR.
“We have spent the last four years tackling how to embrace this entire AI picture and technology picture into our organization, and we’ve made great strides with it,” Statton said.
In the past 10 years, Claremore-based MST has experienced about 180 percent growth year-over-year, he said.
Its biggest AI dividends have been realized through accounting, not production, Statton said.
“For the first time in a measurable number of years, I have a rock-solid set of financials, a rock-solid set of reportables to go with those financials that allow me to make real-time decisions every single day without pause,” he said. “I can rely on the data because we’ve created some avenues with AI agents and with people directing traffic inside that model.”
A young workforce has helped with Infinite Composites’ assimilation of AI, Tate said.
“Most of our team is in their mid-30s, late 30s or early 40s,” he said. “So, they were really eager to adopt this. One of the biggest impacts has been contract review.”
AI education has been paramount at CymSTAR, which does extensive work for the U.S. Department of Defense, which restricts the use of artificial intelligence, Marticello said.
“Our biggest issue is training,” he said. “What can you do? What can’t you do? Here are the systems you can do it on. Here are the systems you can’t do it on.
“...You need to realize that everything you put out into the AI world is out there for everyone.”
The event’s programming closed with a “Lightning Talks” session led by Brian Miller, president of manufacturing company Midwest Precision, and Tim Crawford, CEO and co-founder of Tenstreet, a software firm specializing in the transportation industry.