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Shark Tank mentor Mark Cuban shared his thoughts on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in business growth at the SXSW conference held on March 11, 2025, in Austin, Texas. Addressing an audience of entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts, Cuban discussed that while AI holds potential, it should be viewed as a tool rather than a solution in itself.
"AI is never the answer. AI is the tool. Whatever skills you have, you can use AI to amplify them," Cuban said.
He said that AI can help business owners grow their companies by making research easier, answering questions, and taking care of operational tasks. He did warn against relying too much on AI, though, saying that it's important to know what its limits are.
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Cuban told entrepreneurs to stay up-to-date and use AI to improve their skills while still bringing their own ideas and creativity to the table.
Shark Tank mentor Mark Cuban perspective on the role of AI as a business tool
During his session, Mark Cuban said that AI can be an effective tool for entrepreneurs but should not be seen as a replacement for human creativity or decision-making. Speaking about how technology has simplified the initial phases of establishing business.
"It’s so much easier to start," Cuban said.
Shark Tank mentor added that with just a laptop and internet connection, anyone can begin their business journey and use AI to support it. He pointed out the accessibility of AI mentors:
"Now, you have a mentor, whether you use Perplexity, Anthropic Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini — it doesn’t matter. You have experts," he shared.
While acknowledging that systems can make mistakes, he also shared that human mentors also face challenges and that AI can still be a valuable guide.
AI can assist in areas such as research, email drafting, and sales calls, helping entrepreneurs understand gaps in their knowledge and streamline operations. However, Cuban also added that AI doesn’t know a "good story from a bad story." and people "need to be creative."
Learning and making use of AI for success
Shark Tank mentor Mark Cuban also highlighted the importance of actively learning about AI to maximize its benefits.
"There’s so much changing that rapidly," he said.
Cuban urged entrepreneurs to spend "every waking minute learning about AI." According to him, staying informed about technological advancements is important, particularly for new businesses looking to establish themselves.
He addressed concerns regarding AI’s role in creative industries, such as writing and video production. While AI can assist with content creation, Cuban pointed out its limitations in assessing quality and narrative.
"AI can do the video — trust me, I can create AI-generated videos. They’re still gonna s*ck," he shared.
Cuban concluded by advising entrepreneurs to view AI as a way to enhance their capabilities.
"But not using it means somebody else is going to be amplifying their skills — and that could be the difference between getting ahead of you or not," he said.
His message highlighted the importance of adapting to technological changes while depending on personal skills and creativity to stay competitive.
Watch new episodes of Shark Tank airing every Friday on ABC.
