Cox Business Teams Up with Best-Selling Author Gene Marks for "The AI Business Playbook"

A real-world guide for leaders steering their companies through the AI era

ATLANTA, Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Business today announced the release of The AI Business Playbook, a guide for business leaders authored by acclaimed columnist and business management expert Gene Marks, featuring exclusive insights from Cox Business executives. The playbook equips organizations to develop a realistic, revenue-driving AI strategy by separating real opportunities from hype and avoiding costly mistakes.

Why Businesses Need a Practical Path Through the AI Shift
As AI reshapes the business landscape at unprecedented speed, leaders are feeling the pressure to keep pace. But the truth is, most organizations aren't "behind"—they're simply entering a new era where chatbots are table stakes and AI's real value is only beginning to surface.

Employees feel this shift too. According to a recent Cox Business Workplace Technology Survey, more than 60% of Gen Z and Millennials are optimistic about AI's growing role at work, even as more than one-third still express concerns about what it means for their future.

As an author, business owner, and columnist for The Hill, The Guardian, Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Chicago Daily Herald, Gene has spent two decades both running a successful business and interacting with influential leaders across industries. He's seen firsthand how organizations confront new technology, and what separates those who adapt confidently from those who struggle.

"Businesses don't need bigger promises about AI, they need practical direction," said Marks. "That's why partnering with Cox Business was so valuable. Their deep relationships with organizations of every size helped ensure this playbook is grounded, realistic, and aligned with real-world business goals."

What Leaders Will Learn
The AI Business Playbook empowers business leaders to:

• Move Past the Hype. Learn why most organizations are still experimenting, why that's okay, and how to shift from early learning to strategic adoption.
• Avoid expensive AI mistakes. Discover why widespread AI agent adoption is still rare, and how to invest in solutions that deliver real ROI.
• Keep employees productive and engaged. Learn effective strategies for rolling out AI without creating anxiety, including tips on training, vendor selection, and updating productivity KPIs.
• Ask the right questions of your software vendors. Understand which AI features in your core platforms (CRM, ERP, HR, accounting) drive profit and productivity.
• Protect your business. Implement a simple, effective AI policy framework to manage risk and ensure responsible use.
• See what's real and what's next. Get a realistic timeline for AI automation, plus step-by-step guidance on leveraging your company's data and building your own ChatGPT for business.
• Learn from industry leaders. Explore real-world examples from global brands like Amazon and Klarna that are translated into practical lessons for every business.

Connectivity Makes AI Work
AI-powered business solutions are only as strong as the infrastructure and data behind them. To weigh in on this, select chapters of this book feature exclusive perspectives on infrastructure, security, and workforce readiness from Cox Business executives, including:

• Jeff Breaux, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer
• Sarah Kim, Vice President of Commercial Marketing
• Eric Pace, Head of AI

"For AI to truly work, businesses need reliable connectivity and a partner they can trust to guide them from strategy through execution," said Jeff Breaux, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Cox Communications. "Beyond connectivity and managed IT, Cox helps organizations define, deploy, and operationalize AI for real business impact. By collaborating with expert voices like Gene, we're encouraging businesses not just to explore AI, but to confidently activate it in ways that drive measurable value across their organizations."

As part of its comprehensive managed IT and cloud services portfolio, RapidScale, a Cox Business company, helps businesses design AI/Machine Learning/Big Data strategy that meets the needs of their organization.

The AI Business Playbook is available now as a free download from Cox Business. Download your copy today at cox.com/ai-playbook.

About Cox Communications
Cox Communications is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through technology. As the largest private broadband company in America, we operate fiber-powered networks in more than 30 states, providing connections and advanced cloud and managed IT services for nearly seven million homes and businesses nationwide. We're dedicated to empowering others to build a better future and celebrate diverse products, people, suppliers, communities, and the characteristics that make each one unique. Cox Communications is the largest division of Cox Enterprises, a family-owned business founded in 1898 by Governor James M. Cox.

Through Cox Business, Hospitality Network, RapidScale and Segra, Cox Communications provides a broad commercial services portfolio including advanced cloud, managed IT and fiber-based network solutions that create connected environments, unique hospitality experiences and support diverse applications for nearly 370,000 businesses nationwide.

SOURCE Cox Communications