AI isn’t breaking dealerships — it’s exposing them. In this episode of What The Prompt (from Automotive Intelligence), Michael Rodriguez sits down with Todd Smith, CEO of Core AI and author of the upcoming book The Intelligent Dealership, to break down what dealership leaders are really reacting to when they say “AI isn’t working.” This isn’t a vendor hype conversation. Todd and Michael get into the real shift happening inside dealerships: AI doesn’t fix broken workflows — it accelerates them. And if your data, systems, and decision-making foundation is fragmented, AI simply turns the volume up on the chaos. In this conversation, you’ll learn: • Why AI is not “SaaS 2.0” (and why that mindset creates disappointment) • The biggest issue inside most stores: data fragmentation across tools • Why the mantra for 2026 should be: Data first, AI later • What “lead intelligence” actually means (and why not every lead is a buyer) • How leaders must shift from managing people/processes to managing signal, flow, and decision confidence • Why AI should be treated like a digital employee you train and collaborate with • The experimentation mindset that separates prepared stores from overwhelmed ones Michael also shares how shoppers and buyers are behaving differently right now — and why understanding intent signals will become one of the most important competitive advantages in modern retail. If you’re a dealer, GM, GSM, BDC leader, operator, or automotive tech professional trying to figure out what matters (and what to ignore) as AI becomes part of everyday operations, this episode is for you. Explore the AI Readiness Assessment: Automotive Intelligence — automotiveintelligence.io Connect with Todd Smith: Find Todd on LinkedIn (he writes daily) and follow his work around The Intelligent Dealership. Today’s closing prompt: If AI gave you back 20% of your time next quarter, where would you reinvest it first — training, process, or customer experience? #AutomotiveRetail #DealershipOperations #ArtificialIntelligence #AutoIndustry #SalesProcess