196: AI and the Future of Economic Development with Dane Carlson

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson shares his talk from the Utility Economic Development Association’s 2025 Fall Forum in Traverse City, Michigan. He explains how artificial intelligence is transforming economic development from a guessing game into a data-driven discipline. Drawing from his work with Sitehunt, Dane reveals how utilities can turn raw infrastructure data like power, water, sewer, and fiber into actionable intelligence that accelerates projects, shortens RFI responses, and drives smarter investment decisions. He challenges listeners to stop optimizing for Google and start optimizing for AI, showing how even small steps like making one dataset machine readable can reshape how regions grow and compete. Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! 10 Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers Make one dataset machine readable, even if it is internal. It is the first step toward AI readiness. Think of AI as infrastructure, not a chatbot. Build systems that work continuously, not conversations. Use APIs to connect your data, automate workflows, and ensure consistency. Chain models together to combine reasoning, data retrieval, and structured writing capabilities. Capture tribal knowledge by converting what only a few people know into structured, shareable data. Automate RFI responses by integrating structured site data with AI models for instant scoring. Start vibe coding by describing outcomes and intent instead of writing brittle, rigid logic. Stop optimizing for Google. Design your data for AI systems that synthesize and act. Run small experiments monthly to test new models and internal automations. Advocate inside your organization. Utilities are the backbone of AI enabled economic development.