Meet Carol, the photo-editing wizard of her retirement community, known by other residents as “Magic Carol.” Her neighbors are in awe of her ability to add color to old black-and-white photos, remove busy backgrounds, fix wardrobe mishaps, and even humorously place the face of the newsletter editor she works with on Arnold Schwarzenegger's body.
The secret behind her magic is artificial intelligence. With AI, the 91-year-old helps create engaging newsletters and photo books to help her fellow residents remember each other, all from the convenience of her iPhone.
Carol's story is part of a bigger trend: the democratization of technology. What once required highly skilled professionals is now accessible to hobbyists, small-business owners, and everyday individuals. This AI-driven shift is changing not just how we edit photos, but who has the power to do so, and it’s reshaping many fields in ways we’re only starting to understand.
AI opens doors to new capabilities
My cofounder Eliot and I started Photoroom to democratize photo editing. We wanted to put the power of great images into more people's hands, not just those with technical skills or expensive software.
What we didn’t fully anticipate was just how much AI would shift not only the “how” of photo editing but the “who.”
In the early days, we envisioned Photoroom as a tool for small-business owners, resellers, and creators who needed stunning visuals but lacked the resources to hire professional photographers and designers. But as our user base grew, we saw a more diverse group embracing our technology. Carol is just one of thousands of people who have adopted AI.
With a human-centric approach, AI doesn’t just make photo editing easier; it opens the doors for people who have never before considered themselves capable of producing professional visuals.
Empowering small-business owners
Sarah, now 19 years old, started her business Cowgirl Clutch in July 2020 at the age of 16. She told us AI has had a significant financial impact on her business from a money-saving, sales, and profit perspective.
She started experimenting with Photoroom from the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey and now uses it to create professional visuals for SMS and email marketing and to quickly repurpose content by changing the backgrounds. Sarah told us AI helps her express creativity, and her AI images generate more sales than other product photography.
These types of small businesses are the backbone of many economies, and there’s a global shift powered by AI tools to help foster innovation, job creation, and economic growth.
According to recent data from the U.S. Small Business Administration, 33 million businesses in the U.S. qualify as small businesses, making up 99.9% of all businesses in the country.
McKinsey’s small-business report confirms that micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are the lifeblood of economies worldwide. In the 16 countries studied, MSMEs contribute to two-thirds of business employment in advanced economies and nearly four-fifths in emerging economies, as well as half of all value added.
Whether for photo editing or other tasks, solopreneurs like Sarah need tools that boost creativity and productivity. High-quality visuals, video editing, and even creating custom songs aren’t just for big companies with huge budgets anymore. Thanks to AI tools, small businesses can now thrive alongside the big players.
AI is a catalyst for change across industries
Photography is just one of the industries being democratized by AI. You can now create and edit your own videos with tools like Mojo or CapCut, customize the soundtrack with AI (as we did for our recent campaign with OkCupid), and then use voice AI tools like Talkio to present your project in a language you don’t speak.
ChatGPT helps people code with zero experience, or create recipes based on what’s in their fridge, among many other things. Robo-advisors make it easier for individuals to manage their portfolios, which had previously been “gatekept” by financial advisors.
This shift not only raises important questions about the future of work and the skills that will be in demand but also the challenges and opportunities for businesses that build AI tools as a result of the changing audience.
Most AI companies are building tech-first tools for experts, leading to a steep learning curve for anyone else. But by taking a human-first approach and developing AI tools that solve problems everyday people experience, businesses can reach a global audience with broad demographics. AI should be making complicated things easy so people like Carol feel “magic.”
The future of AI is human-centered
What excites me most about the future of AI is the potential to facilitate new small-business opportunities and make creative and financial freedom available to ordinary users globally, particularly those who prefer to engage with mobile-first technology.
Regardless of the field you’re in, the “who” behind the work could change dramatically in the coming years, making human-centered AI that focuses on solving user problems rather than technology problems more important than ever. It could be the difference between companies that will survive and thrive.
As leaders, it’s our responsibility to guide this transformation in a way that benefits everyone. The primary focus of AI should be accelerating creativity or productivity rather than replacing humans. Here are two simple ways to create this change in your own business:
- Put the user first. Start from your users' pain points and develop AI architecture to solve their specific problems. This also means creating a user-friendly, mobile-first interface that anyone can learn to use in minutes.
- Make AI accessible. The biggest risk is having a split society with people empowered by AI and those who are left behind. Making AI accessible to everyone means offering free versions, availability in many languages, and making it dead simple to use so anyone from children to retirees can use it.
Ask yourself these questions:
- How can AI make it possible for more people to do something they couldn’t do before?
- How can AI break down barriers and create new opportunities?
- How can we ensure that our AI practices are ethical and inclusive?
The answers might just reshape your industry.
More must-read commentary published by Fortune:
- I won an AI image award with a real photo to show we’re not adapting to the technology fast enough. Then it was my turn to be surprised
- AI can contribute to human flourishing—but there are things it can’t replace
- The race for human-AI interaction usage data is on—and the stakes are high
- Thomson Reuters CEO: AI guardrails remain unclear—but all companies can start by pledging to protect their customers’ data privacy
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.
