From a Fireside Chat to Front Porches in District 35: What Rob Carter’s AI Talk Made Crystal Clear for Our Campaign

Last night I got invited back to Nexus for the monthly meeting (alumni privileges), I sat in on a fireside chat with Rob Carter that felt less like a “tech talk” and more like a leadership gut-check. Not the usual AI buzzwords. Not the “robots are coming” panic. More like: how do we lead when the world is

changing fast and changing again tomorrow? And if you’re me and running for office in Arkansas House District 35, that’s not a foreign thought.

That’s right-now.

That’s jobs.

That’s schools.

That’s small businesses.

That’s whether our communities get to shape the future or just react to it.

Rob said something early that stuck with me:

Leaders have to hold two thoughts in their head at the same time.Don’t “lock on” to one idea and “lock out” everything else.

That’s the posture District 35 needs in Little Rock because AI is both opportunity and responsibility. Both a tool and a force. Both exciting and something we have to handle with care.

That balance is basically my whole platform in one sentence.

1) Don’t bury your head in the sand and don’t blow up your workforce either

One of the most important moments of the conversation was this: yes, AI is going to change everything… but no, you don’t make smart decisions by panicking.

Rob used an example that hit home: a company hears “agentic AI can replace call centers,” and suddenly someone wants to start laying off hundreds of people. That’s not leadership. That’s a headline chasing a spreadsheet.

What we need is what he called being a “maximalist” and being pragmatic:

• Maximalist enough to admit AI is a transformational wave.

• Pragmatic enough to protect people, service, and stability while we adapt.

That’s exactly how I’m approaching policy: innovation with purpose.

Audrey for Arkansas: Because the Future Can’t Wait doesn’t mean “move fast and break people.” It means move smart and build pathways.

2) AI isn’t magic. It’s powerful and it can be wrong.

Rob told a funny story about asking his “ChatGPT buddy” (he calls him “Monty” and for the record I thought I was the only one with a name. My GPT is named "Elliot") whether it was a leap year. Monty answered with full confidence… and was wrong.

That’s the point: AI can sound certain even when it isn’t correct.So the real skill isn’t “trust AI” or “fear AI.”

It’s human-in-the-loop thinking:

• Verify.

• Check sources.

• Use it as a partner, not a replacement for your judgment.

This matters for schools, too. Our kids don’t just need access to AI they need to learn how to think with it, challenge it, and use it responsibly.

That ties straight into my Youth & Education pillar: Preparing Today’s Youth for Tomorrow’s Jobs means teaching critical thinking in a world where answers come fast—and aren’t always right.

3) The best AI habit is “reflexivity”: use it like a tool you actually live with

One thing Rob said that really landed: most people use AI like Google ask a question, get an answer, move on. But the real power is using it iteratively, day-to-day, until it becomes reflexive.

Not “I could’ve asked AI.”More like: “Let’s think this through together.”

That’s the kind of mindset shift we need in District 35—not just in tech companies, but in:

• workforce training programs

• classrooms

• small businesses trying to keep up

• local governments trying to do more with limited resources

This is why my Technology & Workforce Development pillar isn’t about shiny gadgets. It’s about making sure folks here can use tools that increase productivity, income, and opportunity.

Powering People. Fueling Progress. has to be literal.

4) The worst move is locking it down because people will do it anyway

A big thread in the discussion was governance: companies (government and institutions) either lean in or freeze up and lock everything down.

Rob’s point was blunt: if you lock it down completely, people don’t stop. They just go “do it in the wild,” and now you’ve created a bigger risk problem.

That’s a policy lesson for Arkansas:

• We need smart guardrails (privacy, security, transparency)

• without killing innovation

• and without leaving our teachers, workers, and small businesses to figure it out alone

In campaign terms: smart government, not bigger government.Government should help people use new tools safely not pretend the tools don’t exist.

5) The “Beta Generation” question is the whole ballgame

I asked Rob a question I’ve been thinking about a lot:

2025 marks the start of what some call the “Beta Generation” kids who won’t know life without generative AI. So when they’re graduating and entering the workforce, how do we prepare as leaders for a generation with access to more information than any generation before?

His answer, in plain terms: you don’t have to be a digital native but you do have to become fluent. Because the kids are going to “dream in technology.” We can’t afford leaders who can’t even speak the language.

That’s the heart of my platform:

Technology & Workforce Development

We need real, accessible training pipelines so District 35 families can compete and win in the jobs that are coming.

Youth & Education

We need schools that teach students how to use these tools with judgment and creativity not just ban them and hope for the best.

Economic Development

We need to attract and grow opportunity here, so our young people don’t feel like success requires leaving home.

That’s the virtuous circle:education → workforce → jobs → stronger community.

Or like we say in this campaign:

From Our Classrooms to Our Communities: Progress Starts Here.

What this means for District 35 and what I’ll fight for

Here’s the simple promise: AI shouldn’t widen the gap between people who have access and people who don’t. In District 35, we’re not going to be last in line.

My platform applies what we talked about last night in a very real way:

• Invest in modern learning (including STEM and computer science access)

• Support teachers with training and tools, not blame and burnout

• Expand workforce pathways that lead to good-paying jobs

• Grow small businesses so local entrepreneurs can compete in a tech-driven economy

• Push broadband and connectivity because opportunity can’t run on “maybe the signal works today”

This is what “The Power of Us” looks like: schools, businesses, families, and policymakers pulling in the same direction so the future doesn’t just happen to us.

Rob said something that I think is the right tone for this moment: lead with curiosity. Don’t be judgmental. Don’t be frozen. Don’t be reckless. Be curious, engage, and build.

That’s how I’m running this campaign. That’s how I’ll govern.

Because the future can’t wait and District 35 shouldn’t have to, either.

— Audrey P. Willis, Candidate for Arkansas House District 35

Because the Future Can’t Wait.