Faster Horses…

Last week, I drove my car to the airport on Wednesday morning. By nightfall, I was in Honolulu, Hawaii, for the privilege of speaking to the Hawaii Association of Broadcasters—coincidentally, about AI. The ability to go from Wisconsin to Hawaii in the same day is still mind-blowing to me. As I said to my wife, "What an amazing world we live in."

When Henry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908, he didn't just build a car—he disrupted how people thought about transportation, time and opportunity. Before Ford, automobiles were luxuries for the wealthy. With mass production, suddenly, everyday families could afford one, and the world shifted almost overnight. Roads were paved, suburbs developed, businesses sprang up around mobility and entire industries were reshaped.

Similarly, when Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved powered flight in 1903, skeptics scoffed. Flying machines? Impossible, dangerous, unnecessary. Yet within a few short decades, aviation connected cities, expanded commerce and transformed global travel. What was once feared as risky became indispensable.

Broadcasters today are standing at the same kind of threshold with artificial intelligence. Like the car and the airplane, AI is not a fad—it's a new infrastructure for how business will be done. And just as Ford's assembly line didn't eliminate workers but created more jobs in new industries, AI won't replace broadcasters—it will empower them to work smarter, reach deeper and sell more effectively.

Why the Fear?

Just as early critics worried that cars were unsafe and airplanes too fragile, many broadcasters fear AI will diminish the human touch in sales, or on the programming side, replace talent and creativity. But Ford's innovation didn't stop people from walking or riding horses—it gave them choices, speed and efficiency. The Wright brothers didn't eliminate trains—they created another way to connect. AI is the same: it's not here to take away the human role in selling or creating, but to extend it. Of course, at this stage in the development of AI, you MUST verify its accuracy. It isn't aways right. Make sure if you use it, you verify accuracy.

How Broadcasters Can Embrace AI Like Ford's Buyers Embraced Cars:

See AI as a Tool, Not as a Threat - Ford's buyers didn't have to know how to build an engine—they just had to learn how to drive. Similarly, you don't need to be a coder to use AI. Lean on AI for tasks that drain your time, such as prospecting research, proposal drafts, copy ideas and data analysis. Use AI as an opportunity to use RAB.com resources to efficiently build your sales strategy based on correct, verified and current research. That gives you more hours for what matters most: building relationships and solving client problems.

Use AI to Sell Radio + Digital Smarter - The Wright brothers didn't stop with Kitty Hawk—they tested, refined and extended their reach. Use AI to test and refine your campaigns. AI can help you analyze client categories, anticipate objections and tailor solutions that combine radio's reach with digital's precision.

Position Yourself as the Driver, Not the Passenger - When the Model T rolled off the line, people had to learn to drive. That created new authority and confidence for those who embraced it first. If you lead with AI, you position yourself as the expert who can guide clients through uncertainty. Don't wait to be told to use it—show up with AI-enhanced insights before your competitors do.

Final Thought

Henry Ford once said, "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." AI is not a faster horse. It's a new road. The Wright brothers didn't build a better train—they built wings. Broadcasters who embrace AI now won't just survive the shift; they'll soar above the competition, leading clients into the future with confidence.

Giddy Up, and Happy Monday!

Think Big, Make Big Things Happen!

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@rab.com. You can all so connect with him on X and LinkedIn.