“Artificial intelligence, deep learning, machine learning — whatever you’re doing if you don’t understand it — learn it. Because otherwise, you’re going to be a dinosaur within three years.”

—Mark Cuban, American Entrepreneur and Investor

Google’s been busy lately—and not just fighting lawsuits.

AI is creeping deeper into how people search, and for businesses (including dealerships), that’s a trend too big to ignore.

The Big Number

Over 1.5 billion people are now using Google’s AI Overviews every month across more than 100 countries. That’s not some beta test. That’s the new normal.

AI Overviews pull together answers from around the web into a neat little AI-generated blurb that shows up before the traditional blue links. Whether you’re searching for “best SUV under $40K” or “oil change intervals for 2022 Civic,” there’s now a good chance Google’s AI will answer before a consumer ever clicks on a website.

And Google’s not stopping there. It’s rolling out AI Mode for chat-style search sessions, Circle to Search (which is now on over 250M devices), and expanding its visual search tool, Google Lens, with 5 billion more searches since October.

What Does This Mean for Dealerships?

If you rely on organic search to drive traffic, the battleground just shifted. It’s not just about being the top link anymore—it’s about whether you even show up inside the AI-generated answer. If your site isn’t feeding the right signals (good content, updated information, strong SEO hygiene), you could get boxed out before shoppers even see you.

It also means visuals matter more. As Circle to Search and Lens grow, things like inventory photos, videos, and rich media assets will become key in catching shopper attention early.

Meanwhile…

The DOJ is pushing to break up Google’s search monopoly, arguing that the company’s tight grip on browsers (like Chrome) and its massive AI investments are freezing out competition.

Regulators say Google’s AI advantage is helping it keep its stranglehold on search, and unless something changes, it could set the internet’s future in stone before anyone else gets a fair shot. Google, of course, sees it differently, framing AI advancements as "extraordinary innovations" that competitors just want a shortcut to.

The Bottom Line

AI is already changing how people shop, search, and choose—and not just in the future. It’s happening now. Dealers who understand how AI shapes search visibility (and customer expectations) will be better positioned to stay ahead.

We’re pulling this smart move right from our very own Michael Cirillio’s playbook this week.

In his recent LinkedIn post, Michael explained how he uploaded his phone bill into ChatGPT, asked it to hunt for savings, and walked away with an extra $200 in his pocket every month.

Now imagine doing the same thing with your dealership’s bills—phone services, CRM contracts, vendor invoices, you name it.

AI isn’t just good at brainstorming ad ideas, it’s pretty great at spotting the sneaky stuff too. Whether it’s your personal bill or a dealership invoice, a second set of (AI) eyes might catch what you’re missing. Just attach your document and prompt:

Sometimes AI’s biggest wins aren’t flashy—they’re just practical. Give it a shot and see what you can save.

Speaking playbooks…the most recent episode of the Dealer Playbook is one you’ve gotta watch.

Michael sat down (quite literally, on the floor, in NYC) with our COO, Kyle Mountsier, for one of the most real conversations you’ll hear about AI and the future of retail auto. This episode gets candid about something that every dealership should be thinking about right now: how to use AI the right way, without losing the human connection that drives real results.

If you want a smarter take on blending emerging tech with real human moments, this one’s worth the watch.

Check out the full conversation here.

• Data Management: CDK Global Neuron
  CDK’s AI-powered data platform focuses on unifying dealership data across sales, service, and operations. Neuron analyzes trends, predicts customer behavior, and helps optimize internal processes like service scheduling and parts stocking.
   

• Marketing & Advertising: SEO.AI
  From descriptions and articles to product feeds, this AI SEO assistant helps write and optimize everything to appeal to customers and algos.
   

• Content Creation: Firefly
  Adobe’s Firefly is an AI-powered image generator built for high-quality creative projects. The newest Firefly Image Model 4 is said to offer sharper quality, faster performance, and more control over image structure, style, and camera angles.

• The U.S. is making AI education a priority to future-proof the next generation of students. 🏫

• 24% of U.S. adults think AI will seriously harm the future of journalism, and another 26% aren’t too optimistic either. 👎

• Chinese car brand Chery has released an AI-powered robot assistant that could soon be helping customers around the showroom. 🤖

• Financially savvy Gen Zers are using AI to get a head start on investing. 🤑