From artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles to the evolving mix of electric, hybrid and gas-powered vehicles, the automotive industry is entering a period of vast technological change. On today’s CBT Live segment, we’re joined byDaniel Burrus, Futurist and AI Strategy Expert, says dealers should prepare by anticipating how these developments will affect their businesses rather than simply reacting as they arrive. He also advises dealers to maintain human relationships, evaluate emerging tools carefully, and prepare new revenue opportunities as vehicle technology evolves.
According to Burrus, dealers should stop thinking about AI as a way to replace people and start looking at how it can help employees do their jobs better. He sees real value in using the technology to handle paperwork, find vehicle information and take routine tasks off employees’ plates. One example he shared was a salesperson using a secure AI assistant to answer a customer’s question about vehicle options and available inventory without leaving the conversation to search a computer. That kind of support can make the buying process easier while giving salespeople more time to build rapport.
As Burrus put it, the goal should be to keep humans in the lead, with AI working behind the scenes.
He also cautioned dealers against trusting AI output without checking the work. Burrus recommends letting the technology handle roughly 80% of a task, then having an employee review the information, correct mistakes and add a personal touch before it reaches a customer. That is especially important as more shoppers bring information from AI tools into the showroom, but instead of dismissing what a customer found, he says they should use reliable sources, vehicle brochures and real-world demonstrations to explain the facts. He also encouraged dealers to let the employees who will use new tools test them before making a major investment, pointing to his own experience testing more than 1,500 AI tools and his free report at aistrategyreport.com.
Ultimately, Burrus wants dealers to look beyond the next AI rollout and consider how changing vehicle technology could affect their business. He expects gas, diesel, hybrid and electric vehicles to remain part of the market, with hybrids playing an important role over the next five years as EV technology continues to improve. His broader point is that the dealerships best prepared for the future will be the ones thinking about what’s coming while they still have time to adapt.
