🔒Keynote at CT Retail Network’s annual meeting says learn to use, not fear, AI

National branding consultant and author Ernie Harker says managers of retailers and other businesses do not have to worry that artificial intelligence will take their jobs. “You have to become a manager of AI,” he said. “AI will not take your job. A person who knows how to use AI will take your job.” Harker served as the keynote speaker for the Connecticut Retail Network’s annual meeting, held Thursday morning at the Bushnell Performing Arts Center in Hartford and attended by more than 60 people. He told the retailers that someone might use AI to replace 500 people to save on salaries and benefits. “But if my five employees said we each learned how to use generative AI and we can each do the jobs of five people, who am I going to let go?” he asked. “Nobody. I’m keeping them all because they just magnified my workforce by 500%.” His presentation included demonstrations of how to use generative AI to create logos from simple drawings, or to use a photo to create a simple video. For the latter, he used a photo of Connecticut Retail Network President Tim Phelan that he brought to life on the screen. He also demonstrated that the video could speak in one of more than 100 languages. “I’m not trying to fool anybody,” he cautioned, but added that using AI in this way could help provide training for staff or information for customers in their own language. “The future of the world is going to be AI generated,” Harker said, adding that it is up to people to decide if they want to watch it or manage it. Harker’s presentation followed others by Anthony Anthony, the state’s chief marketing officer, and Rep. Kerry Wood (D-Rocky Hill), who discussed this year’s legislative session, the coming special session and issues that she hopes will be addressed during the 2026 session. Anthony had a simple message for the event’s attendees, explaining that the state has leaned into marketing over the past couple of years and that retailers must do the same. “It's important that everybody notices that we're in the marketing game. We're all in the marketing game,” he said. “I don’t care if your town has nothing in it, at the very least you've got a gas station, you've got a grocery store. At the end of the day, people are spending money on that, and that is tax revenue for the state, tax revenue for the towns, and we all contribute to a much larger picture here.” Anthony provided numerous examples of how the state has leveraged its marketing despite a budget for the current fiscal year reduced by 44% from a year earlier. He cited the creation of curated trails, such as the Connecticut Pizza Trail, which has produced a significant payoff. According to state data, the campaign promoting Connecticut pizza has increased travelers from New York City by 17.5% year over year, and the state has hit 17 billion media impressions with over 4,000 articles nationally from September through October this year, he said. All of that was done with a budget of just $4.5 million, which Anthony said is “among the smallest on the East Coast and the nation.” He added that three more state “trails” will be introduced this year, including a “Basketball Capitol of the World” Trail set to debut in time for college basketball’s March Madness national championship tournament. Anthony also showed a graphic listing where Connecticut ranks in a variety of categories as a great place to work, live and play. According to the chart, Connecticut is No. 1 for college readiness, for personal and residential safety, and No. 1 for America in hiking.” For the latter ranking, he noted that there is a state park within 15 minutes of anywhere in Connecticut. The problem the state has faced, he said, is that until recently it has not done a great job marketing itself. Asking to be forgiven for his language, he put it this way: “Connecticut shits on itself a little too much.” The Connecticut Retail Network represents more than 3,000 member retailers across the state. The event also honored Best Cleaners as the 2025 Retailer of the Year.