AI is a powerful technology, but in communication and sales, it should be used with caution.

That’s the message from Dr. Ryan Sauers, president and founder of Sauers Consulting Strategies, who says that overreliance on AI tools can have a negative effect as distributors and suppliers build relationships with prospects and clients.

“Grok, Gemini, Claude and ChatGPT are only going to get better and better and better,” said Sauers on the Promo Insiders podcast. “The only advantage we have left is our human touch. So, for example, AI can prepare us for the meeting, but AI can’t go into the boardroom with us. We have to go in there. AI can’t think on our feet when we’re shaking someone’s hand, but it can prepare us in advance. So I feel [human connection is] more critical than ever, or we’re going to end up in a world of bots talking to bots.”

In this episode, Sauers discusses efficiency versus effectiveness, authenticity as a critical differentiator in a competitive industry like promo and viewing AI as an important partner but not a replacement for interaction.