AI adoption isn't failing because of the technology. It's failing because we're treating it like a tech upgrade when it's actually a fundamental behavioral shift.

We are increasingly turning to AI chat tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini to find information, products and services. This presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for businesses that can adapt their marketing strategies to ensure these AI tools recommend their offerings. Successfully navigating this new era of AI search optimization requires a strategic approach beyond traditional SEO.

Ethan Mollick states in his One Useful Thing Substack that large percentages of workers are using AI individually (up to 40% by April 2025), but organizations aren't seeing proportional performance gains.

The tectonic plates of digital marketing are shifting beneath our feet. For example, Google's AI Mode has exploded from experiment to mainstream in 2025. Google’s AI Overviews now appear in more than 50% of all searches. Smart marketers are now pivoting to optimizing for reference rates instead of click-through rates, and racing to become the authoritative sources that AI systems cite and recommend.