Six dealership tactics went on trial in the debut episode of The Pushback with Paul Daly and Kyle Mountsier. AI was the last one on the board, and it's the one they agreed on the fastest.
This has to be at the top of the list, so high up we can't even see it.
That's Paul Daly's ranking, delivered without hesitation. His reasoning cuts against how most dealers still think about AI: you don't need to get complicated to get value from it.
You can go deep, build data pipelines, connect systems to talk to each other, or you can use it in simple, everyday ways and still get hours of your time back.
The Real Gap Isn't the Technology
Kyle Mountsier's follow-up is the part worth rereading. He pointed out that most dealership AI use cases have been narrowly scoped to conversations: inbound calls, outbound calls, messaging. That early framing has actually limited how people think about what's possible.
The real opportunity, in his view, is operational. AI belongs in every part of the business where it makes sense, not just the front-facing customer touchpoints. Getting that right requires the right partners and the right tools, integrated deeply rather than bolted on.
His closing line doubled as a warning for the next five years: dealerships that don't build enough AI-driven efficiency into their operations won't stay relevant in the market, regardless of vertical.
If your only AI initiative right now lives inside your BDC or your phone system, you're using a fraction of what's on the table.
Look at the repetitive, low-complexity work happening in your service department, your parts department, your F&I paperwork.
That's where the hours are hiding. Start there before you chase a more complex, department-wide rollout.
Want the full conversation?
Paul and Kyle unpack where AI is actually moving the needle for dealerships in 2026, and where the industry is still stuck thinking too small.
