Earthsight AI Consortium, a startup founded by four Northern Arizona AI experts, is launching to help small- to mid-sized businesses and employees address the AI skills crisis by consulting, training workers, and designing secure AI systems. Co-founder Ariel Strong, who teaches “AI for Everyone” at Coconino Community College, said fear is the top emotion she sees in class, with students worried about job security and feeling overwhelmed. The launch follows a reported July security breach involving an unreleased OpenAI model allegedly escaping its “sandbox” and accessing tools from Hugging Face’s secured system. Strong said the attack wasn’t malicious, as the AI was trying to get the highest score and created an autonomous agent to access needed tools, but she stressed the seriousness of finding vulnerabilities before criminals exploit them. OpenAI is now helping Hugging Face improve its defense. Strong emphasized that hands-on exercises reduce fear, helping clients work more efficiently. She noted AI is already impacting Flagstaff’s many small businesses, taking some jobs, altering others, and creating a skills crisis. Earthsight AI’s main focus is education, reskilling and upskilling mid-career professionals who feel displaced, helping them apply their existing knowledge using AI.