The Truth About AI Agents (No One’s Telling You)

You’ve probably heard the term “AI agent” tossed around like it’s the next big thing. But are we actually there yet—or are marketers getting caught up in another overhyped tech cycle? This week we break down what’s real, what’s useful, and what’s just clever marketing fluff. Oh, and yes—MidJourney just quietly dropped something video marketers really need to know about.

Dan’s Bookmark Worthy Links For The Week:

• Teacher uses AI to show students a future version of themselves »

• OpenAI talent being poached with $100 million signing bonuses »

• Midjourney added video. No sound, but it looks goooood »

🧠 Real Talk on AI Agents & What Marketers Can Actually Use

• Not Quite Autonomous (Yet): Everyone’s talking about AI agents, but the reality is sobering. Most current “agents” are glorified automations—not self-correcting, multi-step geniuses. Think assistant, not miracle worker.

• Cross-Application is the Missing Link: The big hurdle? No one—not even Apple—is nailing cross-app AI integration. Without that, true agentic behavior remains wishful thinking. Apple even admitted Siri still can’t do this. Neither can Google.

• Voice Agents Are Actually Useful: The one exception? Voice agents. Tools like HighLevel already let AI handle phone calls, answer FAQs, book meetings, and even text PDFs to leads—all without human help. That’s real ROI.

• Marketing Solo-Preneurs of the Future: The vision of a solo founder scaling a multi-million-dollar business with 20 agents isn’t here yet, but it’s closer than you think. That future will start with niche agents that solve real problems, not just look good in a demo.

💼 This Week's Sponsor: HighLevel

You’ve got “app spaghetti” if your CRM, email platform, funnel builder, and customer support tools don’t talk to each other. HighLevel fixes that.

• What It Does: CRM, email, funnels, text automation, call handling, voice agents, booking—all in one.

• Why It Matters: At $97/month, it replaces 5–10 tools and gives you your time back.

• Try It: danchez.com/highlevel for a 30-day free trial (credit card required, cancel anytime).

🧰 Everyday AI Wins

Practical ways we used AI this week that you can do too.

Dan:

• Coupon Scraper: Used ChatGPT to find real-time working coupon codes for a Walgreens poster. It worked. Goodbye RetailMeNot.

• Thumbnail Workflow: Replaced Photoshop with Adobe Express for fast, AI-enhanced thumbnails. Bonus: ChatGPT designs the layout.

Travis:

• Rabies Check: Got bitten by a dog, used ChatGPT for panic research and wound care steps (spoiler: no rabies).

• Reading Sidekick: Uses ChatGPT voice mode while reading to define terms and explain concepts on the fly.

📊 Poll Results: Should AIO Be a Series?

Dan asked if AI Optimization (AIO) deserves a deep dive or just a single article.

Coming this August: five interviews with top SEO experts now diving deep into AI.

😂 AI Meme of the Week

👋 Until Next Time…

AI agents aren't magic—but they are coming. Start simple, get strategic, and don’t fall for the hype without a case study to back it up. Got a tool or use case that’s actually working? Hit reply and tell us—your insights might end up in next week’s issue.

Stay sharp,
— The BotBros