Every once in a while you take a trip not because you have the all the answers, but because you’re trying to figure out what everyone else thinks the answers are.

That was the idea behind my trip to Atlanta for the ServiceTitan Marketing Pro Workshop. I packed light, grabbed my camera, and flew out of Detroit with a simple goal: see how businesses are actually using AI right now.

Because if you listen to the news, you’d think AI has already taken over the world. And it is starting to take some white collar jobs.

Executive orders are being signed about it. Tech companies are racing to deploy it everywhere. Every platform we use — Google, Meta, CRM systems — suddenly has an “AI-powered” feature attached to it. When in reality, it’s mostly re-wrapped computer programming.

And hen you actually get in a room with the people running real businesses, the story is a lot more interesting.

And honestly… a lot more skeptical.

The AI Conversation Everyone Is Having

The conference room was full of owner-operators, marketing managers, and people running digital campaigns for home service companies.

Plumbers. HVAC companies. Electricians. The kinds of businesses that live or die by their marketing performance.

And yes — AI was the headline topic of the entire workshop.

But something funny happened when the room was asked a simple question:

“Who here trusts AI with 100% of their business data?”

Nobody raised their hand.

Not one.

That pretty much summed up the atmosphere.

Everyone wants to use it.

Nobody fully trusts it.

What AI Is Actually Being Used For (Right Now)

When you strip away the hype, AI at the moment is mostly being used for small productivity improvements.

Things like:

• Writing small bits of marketing copy

• Generating ad variations

• Assisting with coding or scripting

• Summarizing reports

• Helping automate small CRM tasks

• helping formulate rough ideas

Those are the things that actually seem useful right now.

And I’ll admit — I use it for those kinds of tasks too. It can save time. It can speed up the boring stuff. It’s a productivity tool if you use it right.

But the idea that it’s replacing entire jobs or running businesses?

That’s not what I saw in that room.

The Real AI Push: Advertising

Here’s the part that made me raise an eyebrow.

Most of the AI talk wasn’t about replacing business functions. Everyone recognizes that they still need a human in the loop.

From what I’ve mostly seen, AI’s big task is making business owners feel better about spending money on digital ads.

Google and Meta both push heavy AI optimization inside their ad platforms now. CRM systems like ServiceTitan are integrating AI dashboards, analytics summaries, and predictive tools.

And the messaging is always the same:

“Don’t worry — the AI is optimizing your ad spend.”

“Don’t worry — the AI is finding the best customers.”

“Don’t worry — the algorithm knows what it’s doing.”

But at the end of the day, those tools are still owned by the same companies selling the ads. We never trust the Google Representative or Meta Staff when they call to optimize our Ad accounts, so why would we start trusting AI?

So naturally, I’m skeptical.

It’s like asking the casino if you’re winning.

The Role of Content Creators

One thing that did become clear during the conference is that content creation isn’t going away, it’s going through a massive shift.

In fact, polished video content is still extremely valuable for businesses.

Companies are still running:

• YouTube ads

• Google Performance Max campaigns

• Meta video ads

• Website video branding

And the consensus in the room was simple:

Businesses still want high-quality video that makes them look professional.

Authentically produced Ad’s is not something AI is replacing anytime soon.

If anything, it just means the expectations are getting higher.

The Bigger Picture

Part of why I went to this conference was to zoom out and see where the industry is heading.

Not just filmmaking. Not just marketing.

The whole digital ecosystem.

And what I saw is a world that’s still trying to figure out AI in real time.

People are curious.

People are experimenting.

But people are also cautious.

Which I belive is the right way to look at it.

My Current Take on AI

Right now, I see AI as a tool, not a solution.

It’s great for:

• Speeding up writing

• Small coding tasks

• Brainstorming

• Organizing information

But it’s not running businesses.

It’s not replacing real strategy.

And it’s definitely not replacing human creativity.

At least not yet.

Leaving Atlanta

After two days in conference rooms, networking events, and a few late-night conversations about marketing and technology, I flew back home with something simple:

A slightly clearer picture of what’s actually happening.

The AI revolution everyone talks about?

It’s still being figured out.

And in the meantime, the fundamentals still matter.

Good marketing.
Good storytelling.
Good video.

Those things still work.

And that’s something I’m happy to keep doing.

— Brandon Damon
Brandon Damon Video