"Anyone who keeps learning stays young."

—Henry Ford, Founder of the Ford Motor Company

The global automotive AI market is on track to nearly double by 2030, with computer vision leading the way. That growth isn’t just for OEMs and chipmakers—it’s shaping the features, expectations, and conversations happening in your showroom today. Here are four angles to watch:

The Market Picture
AI’s rapid expansion is first evident in ADAS, infotainment, and connected features. Customers will increasingly expect safer, smarter, and more personalized driving experiences.

Translate that rising complexity into everyday benefits—why this trim costs more, why updates matter, and how it makes ownership feel different.

Voice in the Cabin
Jeep’s rollout of SoundHound’s generative AI voice assistant in Europe points to where things are headed: natural, conversational interactions instead of clunky commands. When a shopper asks whether voice is useful or just hype, you can point to real-world examples that show the tech is already raising the bar.

From Data to Decisions
Cox Automotive’s four tiers—insights, predictions, recommendations, automation—offer a simple framework for using AI wisely. Start small with good data, build trust with insights, then climb toward automation only once the value is clear. For dealers, it’s a roadmap to experiment without overcommitting or overpromising.

The Edge
As AI becomes a must-have in the cabin, reliability is everything. That’s why edge AI—processing done directly in the vehicle—is gaining traction.

Dealers can frame this shift as faster, more dependable features: ADAS that reacts without lag, voice commands that don’t freeze when the signal drops.

Bringing it together
Whether it’s smarter safety systems, natural voice, data-driven personalization, or faster in-car performance, AI is moving from research reports into daily dealership conversations.

The opportunity for dealers is simple: stay fluent in the tech, but always bring it back to what customers care about—confidence, convenience, and connection.

Google’s Nano Banana for AI Image Editing

Google’s new Nano Banana model might just be the most powerful AI image editor we’ve seen yet—and it’s already live inside Gemini and the Imogen app.

What makes it different? It remembers your edits, lets you blend photos seamlessly, and can handle creative prompts like:

• virtual try-ons,

• product shots,

• background swaps,

• even re-staging an entire room.

The big win here isn’t gimmicks—it’s speed. For dealerships, that could mean turning around a polished vehicle photo, swapping a seasonal background, or testing new creative ideas in minutes instead of hours.

Like any tool, it’s not perfect (faces can distort with too many edits), but the bar for “good enough to post” just got a lot lower.

👉 Check out the full tutorial and see what you might try first.

Keeping up with the Henry Ford quote: “Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”

This week, instead of asking AI to do something for you, ask it to teach you how to use it better.

Try this prompt:

Follow up with context about how you’ve been using AI—marketing tasks, customer emails, inventory descriptions, or even just brainstorming. Let the AI point out gaps, shortcuts, or fresh angles you might not have noticed.

The value this week isn’t the output—it’s the learning loop you create with the tool itself.

Give it a try, and let us know how it goes!

AI doesn’t have to make your marketing louder—
it can make it truer.

In this TradePending conversation, Brian Ortega (Valley High Toyota & Kia) shares how he’s using AI to support the work his team already does:

• quicker brainstorms

• cleaner storyboards

• lighter-lift edits

• simple voice tools that keep the dealership’s personality intact

He’s honest about what’s working, what still needs a human touch, and why consent + brand consistency matter.

What stood out most?
Start small, test in public, and only put budget behind what your audience is already responding to.

If you’re juggling video, social, or just the “can we try this?” ideas piling up on your desk, this one’s worth your time.

Watch the full convo with the YouTube link above.

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