NEW ORLEANS – A survey of the Biz New Orleans 500 has revealed that the vast majority of regional businesses responding have moved beyond experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI) and are now using it regularly to improve efficiency, with some fully integrating the technology into their business operations. Smaller businesses and nonprofits frequently cited AI's ability to help lean teams accomplish more with limited resources.
Nearly all Biz New Orleans 500 respondents (83%) said they are using AI in some form and more than 90% said it is making their work more efficient. Real estate firms, nonprofits, professional services companies and event-focused organizations were among the strongest examples of businesses reporting measurable operational benefits. The findings suggest AI adoption is moving from experimentation to everyday business practice, with nearly one in five respondents already embedding the technology into their long-term operations.
AI Moves Beyond Experimentation
“We did not bolt AI onto the brokerage. We built it into how we think,” said Jeffrey R. Doussan Jr., owner of Keller Williams New Orleans. “Our Transaction Concierge moves files faster, our front desk answers clients in seconds instead of hours, and our AI phone system makes sure a live lead and a live Realtor never miss each other.”
Doussan said AI is changing not only workflows but how businesses position themselves in an AI-driven marketplace.
“We are teaching our agents to be found by AI,” he said. “When a homeowner asks an assistant who should sell their house, I want the answer to be a Keller Williams New Orleans Realtor. The search bar is fading. We are getting ahead of the question.”
Many respondents described AI as a productivity tool that helps existing teams accomplish more in less time.
“AI hasn't changed the composition of our team nearly as much as it has changed the productivity of our team,” said Craig Mirambell, CEO of Mirambell Realty. “We've found that the biggest advantage comes from empowering good people with better tools, not replacing them.”
Mirambell said AI has streamlined tasks ranging from listing descriptions and social media campaigns to market analysis and training materials.
“That efficiency allows our team to spend less time behind a desk and more time serving clients, recruiting agents, and growing our business,” he said.
Similar benefits were reported across multiple industries, with respondents saying AI allows existing teams to accomplish more while improving efficiency.
“We analyzed several short-term solutions and landed on a personal assistant AI model that allows our top people to perform at a much higher level,” said Jeffrey Cantin, president of Solar Alternatives. “Capacity is expanded without expanding headcount. Customer experience is improved and labor/material efficiency is improved.”
Cantin said AI tools moved rapidly from experimentation to integration in recent months.
“AI tools have been exploratory for a couple of years for us,” he said. “In the past three months they became much more deeply integrated and are actively expanding our team's capabilities and insights.”
At the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, President and CEO Jim Cook said the organization developed AI models to automate work-order processing.
“We have built simple AI models to handle tasks like work orders and work requests,” said Cook. “The teams who are engaging with the tools are delivering more robust solutions and analysis faster.”
Lean Teams, Bigger Capacity
Several respondents described AI as especially valuable for organizations operating with lean teams and limited resources.
“We have adopted AI tools for meeting transcription, note-taking, and marketing content creation,” said Christine Briede, president and CEO of Jefferson Community Foundation. “With a small staff, it's essential to streamline administrative tasks to free up time to focus on program management, community engagement, and donor outreach.”
Jamie Fontaine, CEO and director of the Community Center of St. Bernard, said AI-generated marketing materials and graphics have helped save both time and money.
“We are a small team so anything that can automate and streamline our processes truly helps,” said Fontaine. “In the nonprofit world, every dollar saved that can be put towards our mission is invaluable.”
Sherwood Collins, executive director of the Beignet Fest Foundation, said the organization uses AI notetakers for meetings to create minutes and action items more efficiently.
“It has been a more thorough records keeper and task generator,” Collins said.
Marguerite Oestreicher, executive director of New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, said AI has become a significant time-saving tool for the nonprofit.
“AI saves us a tremendous amount of time,” said Oestreicher. “We run with a very lean team so capturing time is a direct benefit.”
AI Fluency Becoming a Leadership Skill
Biz New Orleans 500 respondents said AI adoption is changing expectations for leaders and employees alike, making training, adaptation and AI literacy increasingly important.
“The makeup of our teams has not changed significantly, but the capacity of the existing teams is greatly expanded,” said Cantin. “There is definitely a requirement for staff to explore and familiarize and accept the new tools, and we had to provide room for useful mistakes and process changes to account for the disruptive nature of the tech.”
Oestreicher said New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity is also seeing shifts in how employees engage with the technology.
“Using AI has not changed the composition of our teams but we are seeing a need for additional training for those who are not yet regular users,” she said. “We're also seeing some ‘super-users’ emerge.”
Others stressed that AI remains a tool requiring human oversight and judgment.
“AI is being integrated in various data-intensive workflows to increase efficiency and uniformity,” said Ken Lambert, chair of the Logistics Energy & Manufacturing Practice Group and managing shareholder of the Mandeville office of Baker Donelson. “It is inherently imperfect and requires client participation and consent, as well as informed oversight and verification.”
For some leaders, however, AI proficiency is quickly becoming an expected business skill rather than a specialized expertise.
“Being fluent in AI is becoming table stakes for a seat at our leadership table,” said Doussan. “We do not hire people to run AI. We expect the people who lead to lead with it.”
About the Biz New Orleans 500
The Biz New Orleans 500 is an annual publication showcasing the influential leaders driving today’s regional economy and shaping tomorrow’s opportunities across the Biz New Orleans 10-parish business community. The Biz New Orleans 500 offers professional insights, biographical details and personal perspectives that reveal the real people behind the titles.
