Artificial intelligence is everywhere in the conversation right now. Every week there seems to be a new tool, a new announcement, or a new prediction about how AI will reshape industries. For many organizations, the question is no longer whether AI will matter. The question is what to actually do with it. In some ways, the current moment feels familiar. It feels a lot like 1999.
The late 1990s were the early years of the internet for many businesses. Companies knew the technology was important, but very few people understood exactly how it would change the way organizations operated. Some businesses built simple websites. Others experimented with early forms of e-commerce. Many were simply trying to understand what the technology could do. At the time, it was difficult to predict how transformative the internet would become. Today, of course, it touches almost every aspect of business operations.
One example comes from the world of proxy voting. Years ago, voting proxies for publicly traded companies required enormous amounts of paper. Ballots were mailed to shareholders, completed manually, and returned through the postal system. The process involved significant administrative effort and time. As the internet matured, that process moved online. Today the overwhelming majority of proxy votes are submitted electronically. What once required physical paperwork can now be handled digitally in seconds. Transformations like this rarely happen overnight. They begin with experimentation.
Artificial intelligence appears to be at a similar stage. The technology is clearly powerful, but many of the practical use cases are still being discovered. Organizations across industries are testing tools to see where they can reduce manual effort, streamline workflows, and improve access to information. Some of the earliest applications are surprisingly simple. AI can help draft documents, summarize large sets of information, or organize data from multiple sources. Tasks that previously required significant administrative effort can sometimes be completed in minutes.
These improvements may seem small on their own, but when applied across everyday workflows they can make teams significantly more efficient. For many businesses, the most important step right now is simply learning. Understanding what the tools can do, identifying where they help, and recognizing where human expertise is still essential. Just as companies in the late 1990s experimented with early internet technology, organizations today are exploring where AI fits within their operations.
New technology rarely replaces expertise. More often it amplifies it. When used thoughtfully, tools can reduce friction in routine processes and allow experienced professionals to focus more of their time on analysis, judgment, and client service. The goal is not to chase technology trends. It is to apply useful technology in ways that genuinely improve how work gets done.
If history is any guide, we are still in the early stages of understanding how artificial intelligence will shape business operations. In the late 1990s many people recognized the potential of the internet but could not fully imagine how deeply it would become integrated into everyday life. Today AI may be at a similar point. The tools are evolving quickly, the use cases are still emerging, and organizations are learning in real time where the real value lies. In other words, it feels a little like 1999 again.
OG Trust Services Perspective
OG Trust Services shares insights like these because we see, every day, how avoidable missteps can erode mineral value over time. Our clients rely on OG Trust’s experience, processes, and purpose built tools to bring clarity, discipline, and transparency to mineral ownership and oversight. Whether supporting families, trustees, or institutions, our role is to help guide informed decision making and reduce the risk of costly mistakes before they occur. If the issues outlined here resonate with your situation, engaging early can make a meaningful difference.
Walt Lotspeich, CMM, is President of OG Trust Services and a Certified Mineral Manager with more than two decades of experience in trust operations, wealth management, and financial technology. He helps trust companies, family offices, and foundations navigate the operational and compliance demands of managing mineral interests and real estate assets — and is a frequent speaker and podcast guest on mineral asset management, OCC Reg 9 compliance, and fiduciary technology.
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