Jodi's Journal: Business Anniversary Meets AI Arrival

March 15, 2026

Here’s an interesting fact: SiouxFalls.Business has existed as a digital product about three times longer than ChatGPT.

That realization is both eye-opening and humbling as I mark nine years in business.

ChatGPT, which launched in 2022, has already surpassed 1 billion users.

SiouxFalls.Business? While our reach is more modest, I’m proud of what we’ve built. To confirm, I asked ChatGPT to describe SiouxFalls.Business’s reputation as a business news organization. Here’s what it shared:

• SiouxFalls.Business is a locally owned digital business news organization focused specifically on the Sioux Falls economic and business community.
• It was founded in 2017 by journalist Jodi Schwan, a longtime local media professional.
• Its mission is to “inform, connect and engage the Sioux Falls business community.”

Because of this focus, it’s often regarded as:

• a primary source for local business news (covering new companies, development, leadership moves, retail openings, and more)
• a community-oriented publication rather than a broad investigative newsroom.

Within Sioux Falls, business leaders, developers, and economic organizations frequently read and cite it.

The description also accurately reflected our content mix and business model, noting that we don’t often publish investigative reporting, and concluded:

“SiouxFalls.Business is generally respected locally as a credible business-focused publication, particularly among the Sioux Falls business and economic development community. However, it operates more like a specialized business news outlet/community publication than a traditional investigative newspaper.”

That works for me!

Nine years ago, I believed I anticipated the trajectory of digital news when I created a digital-only, free product supported by sponsored content partnerships. In many ways, I did. This business model, combined with the support of our business community, has allowed us to grow both readership and revenue, for which I am deeply grateful.

However, I doubt anyone locally foresaw the arrival of generative AI back in early 2017 when we first published.

In recent months, the acceleration of AI is unmistakable. For news organizations, this will likely prompt workflow changes similar to those experienced during the shift from print and analog media to digital. The initial work product may be clunky or imperfect, but the impact on reporting, writing, and editing is profound. The potential exists to create work that audiences value even more—if we learn to use these tools effectively.

That’s an industry challenge to solve. More broadly, AI’s influence is appearing in my professional interactions almost weekly.

For example, I sometimes email questions to interview sources when scheduling is difficult. Multiple people have used generative AI to craft responses attributed to themselves.

Once, someone accidentally left AI attribution at the top of an email they sent me, which was supposedly written by them.

I’ve received strategic marketing directions, content ideas, and story frameworks generated by AI.

Sometimes, the sender discloses AI involvement; other times, they don’t. So far, I believe I can tell the difference. This isn’t necessarily a problem—we’re all exploring use cases, seeking productivity gains, and perhaps covering skill gaps or insecurities. While much AI output still falls short for me, it’s easy to imagine the refinements ahead.

One of the best perspectives I’ve heard came from a marketing contact at an advertising partner. She prefaced background information she sent me by saying, “Some of it is AI-generated, but most are thoughts we have and what we talk to clients about.”

When I mentioned how common AI use is becoming, she said, “I tell my team if they ever use it, they have to treat it like an intern. We’d never put anything out that hasn’t been edited and vetted. I now make people tell me if they use AI.”

That pretty much sums up how I feel at this stage of AI’s development.

My bigger concern is relying too heavily on AI to think for us. It’s one thing to use AI to proofread for grammar, spelling, and punctuation—that saves time and improves quality. But it’s another to ask AI to generate ideas, craft interview questions, and write stories. While that also saves time, over the long term, what happens to our ability to investigate, analyze, synthesize, and craft compelling narratives?

If we let AI take over higher-level thinking, what happens when we must respond spontaneously to issues requiring critical thought without AI’s aid? Like physical muscles, mental skills can atrophy if not exercised regularly.

That said, I believe the benefits can outweigh the risks. I’ve seen impressive AI-generated work, and the quality is improving. The evolution of this technology will shape not only the next decade of my business but likely many industries worldwide.

For now, when I receive AI-generated work, I set it aside, do my own human thinking first, then review AI’s contribution last. Sometimes, it adds helpful elements that strengthen the final product, especially when I refine the output further.

Speaking of AI, what image should I use to mark SiouxFalls.Business’s nine-year anniversary? There are many options, but pressed for time, I didn’t want to spend much effort figuring it out.

With one prompt, ChatGPT delivered the image you see with this story. Could it be better? Sure. Does it work here? I think so. Now, I guess I should proof this column.