As Seen in Used Car Dealer Magazine | September 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey Chat, write me a 1,000-word article about the use of AI in the automotive industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There. Done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In about the time it takes you to refill your coffee, AI can spit out 1,000 words about artificial intelligence and the automotive industry. It will probably be grammatically correct, have an introduction, some bullet points, a respectable conclusion, and use words like \u201ctransformative,\u201d \u201cefficiency,\u201d and \u201ccustomer experience.\u201d And it will probably be completely forgettable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is where I believe most people are getting AI wrong. We\u2019ve been handed one of the most powerful business technologies of our lifetime, and too many dealers immediately see dollar signs in reducing payroll. I think they\u2019re missing the bigger opportunity. Instead of asking, \u201cWho can AI replace?\u201d we should be asking, \u201cWhat could my existing people accomplish if AI made every one of them better, faster, and more capable?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s nothing wrong with using AI for basics and to make light work, I do it too. But if that\u2019s where your use of AI begins and ends, you\u2019re barely scratching the surface of what it can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The real power of AI isn\u2019t getting it to write something for you. The real power comes when AI understands who you are, what you do, how your business operates, what you\u2019re trying to accomplish, and what information matters to the decision you\u2019re making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a minute, I\u2019m going to share how I\u2019ve been using AI and the new kick I\u2019m on: how to use AI without it looking like you\u2019re using AI. But first, I want to wrap up this section with three words: memory, context, and direction.<\/strong> These are the building blocks for getting successful outcomes from AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Memory<\/strong> is about giving your AI a background. Whether you use ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or another model, the more it knows about you, the more useful it becomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A great place to start is by asking your AI to interview you. Give it 45 minutes to learn about your business, your role, your interests, your family, your goals, and anything else that matters. Let it ask follow-up questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about how much someone could learn about you in a good 45-minute conversation. That background gives your AI a much better understanding of who you are and where you\u2019re coming from\u2014and that can dramatically change the quality of the answers you get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Context is about keeping your AI organized. Think of projects like a digital file cabinet. Give each project a simple name\u2014or even a nickname you\u2019ll remember\u2014and keep your related chats, documents, PDFs, images, URLs, and other information there. For example, create an \u201cHR\u201d project and load it with the information relevant to your employees and policies. You can even tell your AI, \u201cEvery time I start a prompt with \u2018HR,\u2019 pull from this project.\u201d Now you can simply say, \u201cHR and AI knows which file drawer to open and what information to work from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Direction is really another word for prompting. Your prompts should be specific and deliberate. The more clearly you explain what you want, why you want it, and what a successful outcome looks like, the better the result will be. Don\u2019t know how to write a great prompt? Ask AI. Tell it to train you on prompting, critique the prompts you\u2019re already using, and show you how to make them better. Sometimes the best prompt is simply asking AI to help you build the right prompt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, I\u2019m sure you\u2019re biting your nails wondering how I use AI without looking like I use AI, but one last thing\u2014and it may be just as important as memory, context, and direction: changeyour settings, for crying out loud.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ever wonder why a new AI model seems to praise every stupid idea you throw at it? Check your settings. Most models give you some ability to control how agreeable, direct, or conversational you want your AI to be. Use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then go a step further. Use the customization or instruction settings to define the relationship you want with your AI. Give it a name if that makes it feel more natural. Give it a personality. Tell it when to challenge you, when to push back, and when to argue the opposite side of an idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tell mine to act more like a true friend. And what does a true friend do? A true friend doesn\u2019t tell you every idea is brilliant. A true friend tells you the truth, challenges you when you need it, and sometimes says, \u201cNope. That\u2019s a terrible idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shoot, sometimes I think my AI hates me. I\u2019ve got it dialed in to push me so hard that some days it feels like it doesn\u2019t agree with anything I say. But that\u2019s exactly the point. I don\u2019t need another voice telling me every idea I have is great. I need one that challenges my thinking\u2014and, more often than not, that\u2019s where my best results come from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So how do I use AI without looking like I use AI? I recently officiated my son\u2019s wedding, and AI was everywhere behind the scenes. I used it for research, scripting, and even the unscripted parts. But when it came time to perform, it sounded like me\u2014not me reading something AI wrote. I wrote from my heart and let AI tighten it up. I wrote jokes, and my AI buddy told me most of them sucked. After enough pushback, I finally came up with jokes that had the place roaring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not one person asked if I used AI\u2014and everyone knows AI is my thing. I received incredible praise for that ceremony. But I also put in a ton of work. AI didn\u2019t replace that work; it supercharged it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are countless AI tools that can help your dealership, but before chasing the next shiny software, master your preferred AI model. I still use ChatGPT to develop prompts for almost every other AI tool I use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that, my friend, is where the magic happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n
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