Our journey into the world of Artificial Intelligence began in February 2024, when our youngest and brightest researched the AI tools and options available in today’s environment landscape and sought to Familiarize the broader company.

The AI hype was everywhere, with companies touting “outsized gains” and new tools constantly emerging. But the real challenge wasn’t the technology itself; it was integrating it effectively to boost our productivity. Standalone tools like ChatGPT existed outside our secure work environments, and the rapid evolution of AI made it difficult for a lean team like ours to choose the right solution. We needed a unified approach, not a collection of disparate apps.

That’s why we made a strategic decision to implement Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, for internal company use. Our position as a committed Google Workspace Partner made this a natural choice, building on the platform we’ve consistently leveraged to deliver forward-thinking work solutions and client support. This strategy was mirrored in our work as a Google Cloud Partner, where our weekly internal AI discovery sessions actively experimented with Gemini in Colab and BigQuery for our following pilot with Pepperdine University in September 2024. We ensured to harness AI’s practical power in our workflow, prioritizing real-world impact for our team and clients rather than chasing the hype of other GPT tools.

In April 2024, we flipped the switch and enabled Gemini in Google Workspace for a portion of our team. This wasn’t just a technical rollout; it was a deliberate Experiment to illuminate how AI could genuinely help us.

We actively sought feedback across the company, looking for pain points that Gemini could solve and opportunities for AI to transform our work. This invaluable process allowed leaders to hear directly from employees about their current AI usage and their visions for a more AI-powered future.

A significant milestone was reached in September 2024 through a meaningful Collaboration with Pepperdine University. Eager to extend the benefits of AI to others, we partnered with their Master of Science in Business Analytics graduate program. This collaboration involved piloting our AI-integrated, GCP-native big data analytics product, C9 Lens, which enabled us to share our practical AI knowledge and resources with the next generation of innovators.

We understand that AI is a field of constant, rapid change, and we are committed to always keeping pace. As soon as our busiest tax season concluded in April 2025, C9 Digital immediately pivoted its attention to Improving and advancing our AI knowledge.

Looking ahead this summer, C9 plans to elevate our current Google Cloud partner level within the global solutions integrator program. This will further amplify our use of AI in our products and solidify our dedication to ongoing AI advancements and innovation.

It’s the proactive, continuous learning mindset that drove us to attend Google Cloud Next ’25 in Las Vegas, NV. Our colleague Chad personally invited Professor Alfonso Berumen, DBA, from Pepperdine University, a valued partner with whom we’ve collaborated for four years on enriching data science learning.