This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition - Jax Chamber outlines a playbook for business adoption

June 20, 2026 - 04:55

Kent Justice sat down with Dr. Carlton Robinson, Chief Innovation Officer at the Jax Chamber, to discuss how Jacksonville can stay competitive as artificial intelligence moves from corporate buzzword to everyday workplace reality. Robinson explained the reasoning behind the Chamber's new Center for Applied Infrastructure, which frames what he calls "human-centered AI" as the next essential layer of public infrastructure. The goal, he stressed, is augmentation, not replacement. The real work involves identifying what must remain human-led and using AI to remove friction from daily tasks. Robinson outlined a practical playbook for businesses, focusing on how local companies can adopt these tools without losing the human touch that drives trust and creativity. He argued that Jacksonville has a unique opportunity to leapfrog other markets by treating AI readiness as a civic priority, much like roads or broadband. The conversation emphasized that the technology should handle the repetitive grind so that workers can focus on strategy, relationship-building, and problem-solving. For the Chamber, the message is clear: the future of work is not about machines taking over, but about humans working smarter with better tools.