Cox Automotive’s Tessa Nadik is urging auto dealers not to panic in the wake of a report showing AI adoption among car shoppers is far outpacing that of retailers, who risk losing business to competitors whose inventory is more visible to AI-powered search tools.

Instead, Cox’s assistant vice president of product management — who oversees strategy for Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book and Dealer.com, among other divisions — offers a three-pronged strategy to catch up to and keep pace with prospective customers.

Noting that “AI can’t recommend what it can’t understand,” Nadik advises dealers to consider visibility in terms of inventory data, dealership information and website content.

“A request such as: ‘Find a three-row SUV under $40,000 with good fuel economy near me’ requires AI to understand available inventory, compare vehicle attributes, assess relevance, and identify potential sources,” Nadik writes. “If vehicle information is incomplete, inconsistent, or difficult to interpret, inventory becomes harder for AI systems to surface confidently.”

Read more at Cox Automotive