Guest Introduction

Jason Michael Perry is the Founder & Chief AI Officer at PerryLabs, a consulting company helping businesses navigate the AI landscape. He's the former CEO of mygroove and author of "The AI Evolution: The Role of the Chief AI Officer." Based in Baltimore, MD, Jason has eight years of experience in technology leadership and hosts the "Thoughts on Tech & Things" podcast.

Key Topics Covered

The AI Revolution Context

• We're in the "AOL days of AI"—as early as the internet was before e-commerce existed
• The top 5 companies by valuation (Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon) didn't exist 51 years ago
• Microsoft is the oldest at 50 years, demonstrating how quickly technology reshapes industries
• AI is predicted to be bigger than the internet or personal computer revolutions

The Death of Traditional Search

• Google is experiencing declining search traffic for the first time ever
• Users are shifting to ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity for information discovery
• Traditional PPC, display ads, and organic search strategies are becoming less effective
• The concept of "Google Zero"—when organic search traffic from Google reaches zero

Discovery in the AI Era

• AI models typically return 2-3 options instead of 10-20 like traditional search
• These become the new "organic search results" that businesses must optimize for
• Listing sites and "top 10" aggregators are currently dominating AI search results
• Agent-to-agent (A2A) commerce is emerging where personal AI agents talk to business chatbots

Action Steps for Business Owners

1. "ChatGPT Yourself" - Search for your business in multiple AI platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity)
2. Identify Sources - See where AI is pulling information about your business
3. Learn New Terms - Research Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
4. Monitor Listing Sites - Ensure presence on aggregator sites AI models trust
5. Prepare for Change - Diversify discovery channels beyond Google

The Blue-Collar Impact

• AI will affect ALL businesses, including traditionally "hands-on" industries
• Discovery methods are changing even for local service businesses
• Customer interactions through chatbots are becoming normalized
• Future possibilities include robotics for physical tasks (delivery, construction, etc.)

Technology Optimism

• Jason views AI as a "great equalizer" similar to eyeglasses—bridging human limitations
• Compares to how Star Trek inspired real technological innovation
• Technology creates opportunities for people with disabilities
• Humanity's nature will determine outcomes more than the technology itself

Real-World Examples

• Amazon testing delivery robots with autonomous vehicles
• Neo robot ($20K) controlled remotely by humans wearing VR headsets
• Google's AI Overview and dedicated AI search platform
• Airlines implementing agent-to-agent booking systems

Key Quotes

"Right now we're in the AOL days of AI. We're in the time as if you were talking about the internet before Amazon and e-commerce has been defined."

"This is the infancy of this cycle that we're gonna be on and just like AOL, which was a huge company doesn't exist today, who knows what the next company's gonna be over the next 50 years."

"Have you ChatGPT yourself? Have you looked at yourself in Perplexity? Have you looked for your business on Claude?"

"Relying on Google to be the saving Grace for your business is like relying on the Yellow Pages to be the thing that's gonna continue to drive traffic to your business."

"This is that opportunity to be number one in ChatGPT while your other competitors aren't even thinking about it."

Resources Mentioned

• Book: "The AI Evolution: The Role of the Chief AI Officer" by Jason Michael Perry
• AI Search Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexy
• Companies Referenced: Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, Warby Parker
• Concepts: AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), Google Zero, Agent-to-Agent commerce

Connect with Jason

• Website: www.jasonmperry.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jasonmperry
• Podcast: Thoughts on Tech & Things
• Company: PerryLabs