Northern Michigan is about to go through a huge change. Our area has long been known for its natural beauty, tourism, and agricultural legacy. But in 2025, a major turning point will occur when artificial intelligence combines with our specific regional characteristics to offer new economic prospects.
AI Vision: Michigan’s $70 Billion
The State of Michigan has started an ambitious “AI and the Workforce Plan” that may have a $70 billion impact on the economy and create 130,000 good-paying jobs in the next 5 to 10 years. This isn’t just a narrative about Detroit or Ann Arbor; Northern Michigan is in a great position to get a big piece of this expansion.
AI technologies are predicted to change up to 2.8 million employment throughout the state. This gives rural and small-town areas like ours a great chance to skip over traditional ways of growing the economy and become leaders in the new AI economy.
Traverse City: The Next Big Thing in Technology
20Fathoms: Fostering New Ideas
The organization 20Fathoms in Traverse City has been quietly establishing one of the best startup environments in the Midwest. Their goal of creating more digital employment and making it easier to get money is already paying off, with a concentration on year-round, high-paid professions that fit with our cyclical economy.
The organization is a place for entrepreneurs, mentors, and innovators to work together. This is the type of place where AI-powered firms can do well.
$2.3 million and growing for Northern Michigan Angels
Since it started, Northern Michigan Angels LLC has helped local investors finance more than $2.3 million for 22 businesses. This shows that not only is there money available, but also that people are becoming more confident in our region’s capacity to help digital firms expand from idea to scale.
The Blue Economy: AI and New Ideas for Freshwater
The Blue Economy, which is just starting to grow in Northern Michigan, is perhaps the most exciting place for AI to grow. The Traverse City Freshwater Research & Innovation headquarters is a 40,000-square-foot building being built on West Grand Traverse Bay. It will make our area the world’s headquarters for freshwater research and innovation.
The blue economy is expected to reach $3 trillion worldwide by 2030. This means that AI applications in freshwater technology, marine research, and environmental monitoring are huge potential that are right in our own backyard.
AI Uses in Freshwater Research
- Predictive modeling for the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem
- Using IoT sensors and AI analysis to automatically check the quality of water
- Planning for climate resilience with the use of machine learning
- AI-driven systems can help make aquaculture more sustainable.
The AI-Enhanced Experience Changed Tourism
The $7.9 billion tourist business in our area could really use some AI help. Some of the most popular AI applications for tourism being used throughout the world are:
Smart Destination Management
- AI-powered recommendation systems that make each visitor’s experience unique
- Dynamic price optimization for hotels and attractions
- Using predictive analytics to control crowds and allocate resources
- Chatbots that speak many languages and are available 24/7 to help visitors
Making and marketing content
Photographers in Traverse City, like Michael Kent, are already utilizing AI to improve their photos and provide new material. This is only the start of how AI can help our area’s visual storytelling and marketing reach.
Agriculture Meets Intelligence
AI technology that are already changing rural communities throughout the world can be used in Northern Michigan’s agricultural industry, which includes cherry orchards and dairy farms.
Precision Agriculture Applications
- Using drones and satellite images to monitor crops using AI
- Automated irrigation systems that make the best use of water
- Using computer vision to find pests and diseases
- Predicting yield and getting the most out of the harvest
- Managing the supply chain using predictive logistics
Success Stories from Areas Like Yours
Rural communities all across the world are experiencing amazing results. For example, small-scale farmers in Rwanda are utilizing AI-powered knowledge systems to help them decide how to invest in crops, and smart irrigation systems are lowering water expenditures by 20–30% while increasing yields.
Healthcare Innovation: Closing the Gaps in Rural Areas
Northern Michigan’s healthcare technology accelerators are concentrating on digital and telehealth services, which are two areas where AI may make a big difference:
- AI-powered diagnostic tools that link rural patients with experts
- Using predictive health data to help with preventative care
- AI-powered triage methods make telemedicine platforms better.
- Analyzing rural health data to prepare for the health of the community
Economic Development: More Than Just Seasonal Dependence
Combining AI with our conventional businesses opens up a way to get out of being dependent on seasonal work:
Year-Round Opportunities
- AI development work that can be done from anywhere with a good internet connection
- AI services companies that deal with clients all around the world from Northern Michigan
- Partnerships between universities and businesses for research and development
- Using our natural surroundings in new ways to help students learn via educational technologies
Recent Success Indicators
Governor Whitmer’s announcement of 144 new jobs and $4.35 million in capital investment in Northwestern Michigan, including companies like Cambium Analytica’s improved natural food testing capabilities, shows that high-tech companies are already choosing our region for expansion.
The Cherry Capital Web Edge
We at Cherry Capital Web are not simply watching the AI revolution happen; we are also helping businesses in Northern Michigan use these technologies. We provide the following AI integration services:
- Custom AI dashboard analytics to help you learn more about your customers
- Website features that employ AI to make the user experience better
- Using AI techniques for SEO optimization to better target your market
- Automating business processes to save time and make things run more smoothly
Doing Something: Your journey with AI starts now.
The question isn’t if AI will change Northern Michigan; it’s if you’ll be able to take advantage of that change. This is how to begin:
For Businesses
- Look at how you do things now to see if there are any ways to use AI.
- 20Fathoms and other groups like it can help you connect with IT communities in your area.
- Put money into educating your employees in AI and digital capabilities.
- Work with local web developers who know how to use AI.
For Communities
- Help build up the infrastructure for broadband
- Push for AI classes at schools and institutions in your area
- Get in touch with state resources for economic development
- Encourage conventional businesses and tech entrepreneurs to work together.
The Future is in Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan’s mix of natural assets, rising tech sector, strategic geographic position, and state-level AI investment offers a perfect storm of potential. We can write our own success narrative in the AI economy while keeping the quality of life that makes our area unique.
Companies that do well in the next ten years will be the ones who see AI not as a way to replace human creativity and connection, but as a powerful tool that makes our Northern Michigan strengths even stronger: innovation, resilience, and working together as a community.
The AI revolution has begun. The issue is: Will Northern Michigan be in charge of it, or will it happen somewhere else?
Are you ready to look into how AI may help your business in Northern Michigan? Get in touch with Cherry Capital Web to talk about how we can help you use AI technologies that help your business thrive while keeping loyal to your beliefs. We can help business succeed in the new economy by giving you personalized analytics dashboards and AI-enhanced websites.