Technology is a Tool. People Use Tools.

I’ve been fond of the old phrase, “If you own a hammer, it doesn’t make you a carpenter.” If you own a paint brush, it doesn’t make you an artist and if you have an iPhone with a 48 MegaPixel sensor, it doesn’t make you a photographer. The same can be said for someone using an AI tool.

For example, I’m not a designer. I have no artistic ability. I created an image of a Cheesy Western using an AI image generator in Canva. It’s awful:
More than a decade ago, I was giving presentations about the convergence of media and technology. I spoke to business groups, Rotary clubs, Chamber of Commerce events, and conferences. I gave examples of what a future would look like where “robots” were the norm — like a frightening Hollywood fantasy, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Terminator movies. I also advised businesses to adapt marketing and sales channels in this brave, new yet increasingly impersonal world.
Spoiler Alert: I was right. The advice I gave back then is as relevant today as it was in 2010.
Technology’s purpose is “to meet a human need or solve a human problem.” Whatever new technology you employ in your operation, whether it’s the latest greatest AI tool or a robot that is used to perform a human’s job, be sure to think about the customer. Because your customer is a human being and technology is there to meet their needs and solve their problems, not frustrate them or, worse yet, replace them.
Big box retailers, grocery stores, drug stores, and even your neighborhood McDonald’s have been rapidly cutting staff and employing robots for more than a decade. The decision of replacing people with robots was short-sighted.
Recently Wegmans, a brand known for its friendly customer service, announced it is pulling out self-service checkouts. Other national brands like Costco, Walgreens, ShopRite, 5Below, Dollar General and Target are following suit. As it turns out, customers hate robots.
And despite articles in the last year hailing the advent of AI technology and warnings that ChaptGPT will replace writers and other AI tools will replace photographers and graphic designers, I’m here to tell you that they will not. No matter how intelligent Artificial Intelligence is, it will remain Almost Intelligent without a human being behind the scenes who knows how to use the tool.
Our partners at Maxx Potential know what tools to use and how to use them. We are working with them to “meet human needs and solve their problems.” Learn more about this great team of IT Consultants and Experts at maxxpotential.com
MONDAY:
CARROLL FOR THE WIN!
The results are in — and our clients Carroll Plumbing and Heating are the big winners! In the Richmond CommunityVotes 2023 poll, Carroll won top accolades in several categories, including Furnace Repair and Maintenance, Gas Fitting and Piping, Air Conditioning Cleaning and Repair, and more!

TUESDAY:
LIGHTS, CAMERA… ACTION!
On Tuesday, our team got back into the thick of our creative process, shooting and recording new radio and TV spots for our ongoing One Pill Can Kill campaign, and starting filming for a documentary for the Ceasefire Virginia campaign. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, also known as “two take Miyares” because of his excellent on-camera skills, will be featured in all of these new ads. Learn more about reducing gun violence here and combating the fentanyl crisis here.

WEDNESDAY:
MIDWEEK FUN WITH EFFECT TV
On Wednesday, some of our accounts team headed to Crafted RVA for a happy hour with EffectTV! Their talented team can place targeted streaming and TV advertisements that pack a punch for our clients. See how they can help you!
THURSDAY:
DOING GOOD AND GIVING BLOOD
Not all lawyers are out for blood, but the great team at CowanGates actually gives blood. There’s a critical need in the nation’s blood supply and CowanGates has been doing their part for years. Tuesday’s Blood Drive at Salisbury Country Club, in partnership with the Red Cross, collected 21 pints from 21 great folks. If you can, give blood. We’ll post the next CowanGates blood drive here in the Weekly Report, but you can also find a blood drive near you by clicking here.
FRIDAY:
CHEESY IN THE CITY
It’s official. The Texas Inn raised $120,000 in 13 days on HoneyComb Credit, thanks to 91 hungry investors, who want a T-Room in Richmond. The paperwork is being finalized and we’re planning an opening in the Spring. To celebrate we’re giving RVA folks a chance to get Texas Inn gear (t-shirts, mugs, hats and more), plus Gift Cards at a whopping 30% discount. Use Offer Code RVA at checkout and save big!
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE EVENTS

The Doorways presents: 40th Anniversary Open House:
February 7, 2024
The Doorways | 612 East Marshall Street, Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-828-6901
An open house at The Doorways in celebration of 40 Years Between Healing and Home. Join Doorways to reflect on the past 40 years and how many lives have been impacted by your support!
Program at 3 p.m.
Tours available from 2 – 4 p.m.

Sanctuary Road
Presented by The Virginia Opera
Friday, February 9, 7:30 PM
Sunday, February 11, 2:30 PM
Learn more and get your tickets!
A narration of the hardships of people who were forced into slavery, but never stopped believing that freedom could be theirs.Harriet Tubman may be the best-known conductor of the Underground Railroad, but there were others including William Still. An abolitionist and historian, as well as a conductor for the Underground Railroad, he is credited with helping nearly 800 enslaved African Americans escape to freedom. Sanctuary Road by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec, is based on the remarkable writings of William Still.
Music by Paul Moravec. Libretto by Mark Campbell. In partnership with Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Sung in English with English subtitles. The orchestra for this production is provided by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra.
“The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.” — B.F. Skinner