Four AI Conversations with No Egos (except mine)

Chad Bria  March 12 2025 · 6 minute read

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.“ - Henry Ford

As if to challenge my youthful mind... in 2024, I got a text from my brother, truly one of the most intelligent people I know. He said something to the effect of ‘You know, with AI taking off, you could put your knowledge of SEO and marketing into AI, and let technology do a lot of work for you’. Those words were a seed for us, that just needed a little time and sunlight...

What my brother was referring to was, prior to my time working for BDX, we had a marketing firm. We built over 300 websites, managed ad buys, and even consulted with a national franchise to replace their biggest competition for the top spot on Google. We thrived on learning the algorithms and outmaneuvering competitors—skills that, as my brother pointed out, could now fuel an AI-driven future.

So at the end of 2024, Lisa and I gave that seed some nourishment, and our learning journey continued. I’ve heard it said that good marketers are intellectually curious. Constantly learning and growing, because marketing is ever-changing. Whether it’s trends changing, buyer preference changing, or technology changing; standing still as a marketer is not an option.

The first step for both of us, was to reach out to current technology providers and find and vet the best potential resources and third parties to help in our story-telling. Why reinvent the wheel?

The responses were incredibly varied. Some used AI, some used automation, and some sent personal notes to kick off the conversation;

• “Hi Lisa, we tried to call you with no response so here’s an offer discounting our service”. When they never had our phone number.

• “Hi Chad, here’s a Calendly invite, pick a time to talk”. When they DID have my phone number.

• A third follow up email, that was word for word identical to their first email.

• “Hi Chad, I think I know what you’re looking for…” This one was human and helpful. He actually scoured my LinkedIn and our website (thank you analytics) before contacting me back.

I was astonished with the high percentage of follow up that was left to the machines. It ramped up my curiosity even more, as I thought “Are companies really leaving this much to AI and Automation?!” It seemed too risky to me.

THE AI EXPERIMENT

So I took my query to AI. I started with the question – “Is AI the shiny new thing that humans are overhyping, or are humans underestimating AI’s potential and too slow to adopt it?” I asked this of Grok, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude. Each gave me very similar answers, and what I found most interesting is that the conversations were ego-free. Honest answers, some with sources, others just generating conversational responses, which led me to a follow up. Grok even threw in a wild card about the future of search, but more on that later. Here are the highlights-

Grok -”First, the hype angle. AI’s everywhere—headlines scream about it, X is buzzing with takes, and every startup’s slapping “AI-powered” on their pitch deck like it’s a golden ticket. Chatbots, image generators, and self-driving cars are the poster kids, and yeah, there’s a shiny-object vibe. Companies overhype it to cash in—think of all the “AI will solve everything” marketing that’s more sizzle than steak. Gartner’s Hype Cycle would probably peg AI in 2025 as sliding from the “Peak of Inflated Expectations” toward the “Trough of Disillusionment” for some use cases. Like, generative AI’s cool for writing ad copy, but when it spits out gibberish or gets sued for copyright (looking at you, 2023 lawsuits), the cracks show. So, there’s truth to the “overhyped” view—people expect miracles, and when AI stumbles, they cry “bubble.”

ChatGPT - “AI is definitely not just a shiny new thing, and it’s not entirely overhyped, but it’s also not without its challenges...That said, there’s also a lot of hype. AI technologies, like machine learning, still face limitations, especially in areas like true understanding and creativity.”

WHAT THE MACHINES SAID

Claude and Perplexity gave similar answers. The general consensus between the 4 conversations was that operationally speaking, AI can do so much more than humans are giving it credit for. But, to paraphrase all 4, ‘Operations aren’t sexy enough to go viral’. But perhaps, due to a lack of empathy, those chatbots can’t see the bigger picture. Their focus on operations sparked a question, so I tapped an AI Operations pro for more.

From Erik Cofield, Head of Builder Strategy at MerlinAI - “...AI can totally transform operations. We see it in larger and smaller operations, from a 300 unit modular factory, a high end lux custom builder, and of course production builders. In every case, it is not just leveraging AI, but more specifically, it is leveraging AI Agents...AI Agents can act autonomously. They can do things for you. MerlinAI is one of very few, and maybe the only, ERP construction management system with AI Agents in every module doing things like creating a takeoff from a pdf, issuing purchase orders, placing orders, providing estimates and more. AI Agents do what only people could do before. That is equal parts scary and amazing…”

“Scary and amazing” who can ask for a better combo in storytelling?

“The ROI tool I give builders is eye opening. It is brand agnostic and they put in their own numbers privately to see just a few ways builders lose money. When they realize the AI enabled ERP can eliminate much of the profit loss, they start seeing new abilities such as retiring or buying a boat or realizing their legacy in some way. THAT is the sexy behind leveraging Artificial Intelligence”

*As a marketer, I want to get my hands on that ROI tool. Proof of AI’s data-driven skillset: just what a human digital storyteller needs...

THE HUMAN EDGE

My follow up question to the 4 was, “Do you see AI taking over sales and marketing for companies”. This was where AI proved to be ego-free. They all agreed, data-crunching, serving up offers specific to potential customers, and analytics are where they excel. But empathy? Creativity? Human connection? The answers were the same, “Not today, not soon”.

ChatGPT - “sales and marketing often rely on human emotions, creativity, and relationship-building, which are harder for AI to replicate. Understanding the subtleties of consumer behavior, crafting emotionally resonant messages, or navigating complex, ever-changing market dynamics is still something that requires a human touch.”

Claude - “While AI has made impressive strides in operational aspects of sales and marketing (data analysis, campaign automation, customer segmentation), the core human elements that drive successful sales and marketing relationships remain difficult to replicate.

The most effective salespeople and marketers succeed largely because of their emotional intelligence, ability to build authentic relationships, intuitive understanding of unspoken customer needs, and capacity to adapt their approach in real-time based on subtle cues. These qualities are fundamentally human.”

Perplexity - “Challenges and Concerns--Loss of Human Touch- While AI excels at efficiency, it may lack the emotional intelligence and creativity that humans bring to relationship-building and storytelling.

Bias in Algorithms- If not properly designed, AI systems can perpetuate biases in targeting or decision-making.

Dependence on Technology- Over-reliance on AI could lead to vulnerabilities if systems fail or data is compromised”

Grok - “ I’ll push back on any hype that says otherwise. AI’s nowhere near replacing the human touch in sales and marketing—not today, not soon.”

Across all 4, the message was clear, AI is a powerhouse for operations, but it’s not ready to win hearts. Grok being more of the skeptic, and ChatGPT being more cautiously optimistic.

Wildcard from Grok, regarding AI’s place in the future of search, a key component for any sales and marketing team or digital footprint: “AI’s eating Google’s lunch faster than a kid with a free pizza coupon. Traditional search (type keywords, sift through links) feels clunky when you can just ask an AI like me for a straight answer. Look at X: people are already pinging me and others for real-time info over scrolling SERPs. Perplexity’s making waves as an “answer engine,” and even Google’s scrambling with Gemini and AI Overviews. By 2025, search volume’s tilting—Statista’s got conversational AI queries up 40% year-over-year. It’s not just speed; it’s context—AI gets what you mean, not just what you type. I’d bet by 2027, “search” as we knew it is a nostalgia trip for boomers. Quick shift? Hell yes."

AI assisted sales and marketing have a place. Numbers, data-crunching, conversational analysis, GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) or AISO (AI Seach Optimization). It’s a tool, like any carpenter’s hammer, that needs to be wielded with experience, skill, and a human vision… without ego.

So will AI ever sell a dream, or close a deal with a handshake? Not now... so while it’s crunching numbers- I’ll keep storytelling, questioning, learning, and wielding that hammer.