Welcome to the Daily 5 report for Wednesday, Dec. 10.
It seems everybody is talking about it. No, not tweens saying two successive numbers followed by a juggling mime impersonation.
It's artificial intelligence and it's slowly seeping into the daily operations of dealerships, automakers and suppliers.
For example, a recent survey of 251 U.S. dealerships this fall from CDK Global showed 63 percent of respondents were very likely or somewhat likely to invest in AI in the months ahead. And awareness is on the rise, with 51 percent either extremely or very familiar with AI, up from 40 percent in 2024 and 41 percent in 2023.
But while those in the auto industry know about AI and have heard all the accolades of what it can do, many are frozen by not knowing how to take that first step.
I guess they could ask AI what that first step should be. Or read what technology experts and other dealership professionals recommend.
This holiday gift guide of sorts breaks down what questions dealerships should be asking — such as whether a store's tech infrastructure can handle it, how to select vendors and how to get buy-in from employees.
AI is not a cure-all, especially for poorly run dealerships. But it can be a "bandwidth machine," as Brian Benstock, dealer principal of White Plains Honda in New York, put it.
It might not make every dealership a perfect 10, but by asking the right questions (6-7, at least) AI can smooth dealership operations, take on tasks to free up staff and improve the customer experience.
That's it for today. Have a great rest of your day. If you want to view this story on your browser, click here.
— Dan Shine, senior editor
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