To welcome seasonal Sanibel and Captiva residents back to islands, Florida Trust Wealth Management hosted a seminar covering the basics of artificial intelligence (AI). The workshop gave residents an overview of AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to make everyday tasks easier.
Mark Bole, faculty fellow at Florida Gulf Coast University's Ain Technology and Design Hub, led the seminar.
The partnership on the islands began in March when Sanibel community leaders needed help digitally tracking Hurricane Ian recovery, with FGCU offering assistance. Bole and his team have regularly hosted workshops to help businesses integrate AI and other technologies into operations. He says it was refreshing to help individuals.
"They were learning ChatGPT and Claude. I showed them HeyGen, which is how you create audio, imagery, pictures, promotional videos using AI," Bole said. "We also went into Google NotebookLM, which is a really good tool for learning about anything. You can use it to make a podcast out of a PDF."
According to U.S. Census data, Sanibel Island's median age is 68.2, with Captiva's at a much younger 37.3. Jeff Muddell, president of Florida Trust Wealth Management's Sanibel office, encourages island residents to learn how to use AI regardless of age.
"We have in our midst of Sanibel a number of individuals who would be considered senior," Muddell said. "Whether you're 70 or seven in terms of age, you really want to know and understand what's going on so you can harness these tools for your good."
Florida Trust Wealth Management is the new unified identity of the Sanibel Captiva Trust Company and its divisions of The Naples Trust Company and Tampa Bay Trust Company.
To see Bole's overview, visit sanibelai.com.
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