--- title: "Build AI Confidence. Build a Future-Ready Association" id: "61207" type: "post" slug: "build-ai-confidence-build-a-future-ready-association" published_at: "2025-06-05T19:32:22+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-01T22:40:24+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2025/06/05/build-ai-confidence-build-a-future-ready-association/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2025/06/05/build-ai-confidence-build-a-future-ready-association.md" excerpt: "AI is transforming the workplace for associations and members alike. Experts say an effective training plan addresses both." taxonomy_category: - "Ethics" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Associations Now" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Director" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Build AI Confidence. Build a Future-Ready Association Part of the Deep Dive[AI: Balancing Opportunity and Ethics](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/ai-balancing-opportunity-and-ethics/) Bruce Moe, executive director of the Missouri State Teachers Association, is committed to his staff increasing its AI skills to the point that he’s placed a financial incentive around it. Last year, he invited his staff to take part in an AI training program; participation was voluntary, but he offered a $500 bonus to those who completed it. More than half of MSTA’s 45-person staff followed through. “I firmly believe that the staff needed to be, if not using AI technology daily, at least be comfortable talking about it and not be afraid of it,” Moe says. “One objective [of the program] was just awareness and understanding of what the technology is and what it can mean. The second objective was more strategic, and that was to get my staff involved in using the technology so that we could begin to leverage it within the association to benefit our members.” To that end, AI can assist in workforce development on two fronts, both in terms of improving the skills of association staff and the members they serve. “Association leaders have two very big obligations — they’re separate, but they’re both very important,” says Erica Salm Rench, chief marketing officer of Sidecar, a technology consulting firm. “One being to educate their staff, and the other being to be the thought leader for their space so that they can teach their members how to use AI.” Moe says MSTA has already seen the benefits of their AI training. He says a member service coordinator was able to more efficiently prepare documentation for a legal case for one of its members. “They saved half of a full day’s work just by virtue of using that technology,” Moe says. “People are finding ways to use the technology to speed up the tedious administrative work that took time but was nonetheless important, to be able to focus more on member engagement in a way technology can’t.” Ashley Slauter, director of association solutions and advisory services at MCI USA, says AI can allow people focused on educating members the time to develop pathways for training. Within a matter of months, she used AI tools to create a series of webinars for the International Live Events Association (ILEA) focused on educating distinct member groups on trends in their space. [Mark Athitakis](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now, has written on nonprofits, the arts, and leadership for a variety of publications. He is a coauthor of The Dumbest Moments in Business History and hopes you never qualify for the sequel. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Tags: [#Associations Now](https://associationsnow.com/tag/associations-now/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## More in this Deep Dive - [Leverage AI Without Compromising Trust](https://associationsnow.com/2025/06/05/leverage-ai-without-compromising-trust/) - [The Future of Work: Balancing AI Automation With Human Connection](https://associationsnow.com/2025/06/05/the-future-of-work-balancing-ai-automation-with-human-connection/) - [Resetting the Association Culture Code in the Generative AI Era](https://associationsnow.com/2025/06/05/resetting-the-association-culture-code-in-the-generative-ai-era/) - [Personalized Learning in the Age of AI](https://associationsnow.com/2025/06/05/personalized-learning-in-the-age-of-ai/) [View the full Deep Dive →](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/ai-balancing-opportunity-and-ethics/) ## You Might Like - [Video2026 Summit Awards DinnerOctober 2, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/02/2026-summit-awards-dinner/) - [PodcastSecuring Identity: What Associations Need to Know About Verifiable CredentialsJune 25, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/06/25/securing-identity-what-associations-need-to-know-about-verifiable-credentials/) - [VideoAmerican Geophysical Union: Standing Up for Science: AGU’s Year of Action for Scientists and SocietySeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-geophysical-union-standing-up-for-science-agus-year-of-action-for-scientists-and-society/) - [VideoAmerican College of Emergency Physicians: ACEP Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation ProgramSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-college-of-emergency-physicians-acep-geriatric-emergency-department-accreditation-program/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2025%2F06%2F05%2Fbuild-ai-confidence-build-a-future-ready-association%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !