Podcast Summary: CMO Confidential

Episode: AI - The Year in Review & The Year Ahead

Host: Mike Linton
Guests: Andy Sack & Adam Brotman (Forum3)
Date: November 11, 2025

Overview

This episode brings back Adam Brotman and Andy Sack of Forum3 for a fast-paced, insightful review of how AI has evolved over the last year, its current place in the enterprise, its rapid consumer adoption, and what the near future holds. The conversation explores winners and losers in the AI arms race, how companies and marketers are (and aren’t) adapting, and dives into practical predictions and advice for 2026.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. AI’s Explosive Progress: Looking Back and Forward

• Speed of Change:
  • Andy Sack and Adam Brotman marvel at the exponential pace of new AI model capabilities and features.
  • The milestone of “almost a billion weekly active users” for ChatGPT was highlighted as a paradigm shift.
    • Andy Sack (03:39): “ChatGPT is now...serving a billion weekly active users...and have full video capability.”
• Key Milestones This Year:
  • Release of reasoning models (e.g., ChatGPT5, Gemini 2.5 Pro, Grok Heavy, Claude 4.5).
  • Rise of agentic AIs capable of long-duration, autonomous tasks (e.g., Replit Agent 3).

2. Industry Dynamics: Partnerships, Competition, and Winners/Losers

• AI Company Ecosystem:
  • Discussion about "tie-ups" between AI companies and chip makers (Nvidia, OpenAI, hyperscalers).
    • Adam questions if these are “circular nonsense” deals or rational supply chain moves and leans toward the latter—driven by real, extraordinary demand.
    • Adam Brotman (11:30): “Right now, if anything, it’s demand driven…all of the great creative agencies…are probably paying attention to this and figuring out how to use it to their advantage.”
  • Comparison to dot-com era “circular money” but with a critical difference: the infrastructure is actually being utilized.
• Capitalism & Consolidation:
  • Andy likens the battle to a supply chain ‘lockup’—whoever gains AGI first claims an unprecedented prize, predicting a shrinking field: “I think next year there’ll be five companies playing, maybe.” (15:03)
• Meta’s Billion-Dollar Talent Hunt:
  • Meta is fighting back to catch up, offering “billion dollar salaries.”

3. Enterprise AI Adoption & Change Management

• Company Readiness:
  • Data-driven estimate: Only “5% well underway, 95% just started.”
    • Andy Sack (18:59): “5%. 95%. …5% well underway.”
• Leadership & Buy-In:
  • CEO-level sponsorship is essential; AI is a change management problem, not just a tech pilot:
    • Adam Brotman (16:02): “The only way…you’re really going to be able to take advantage of this is if you have…real CEO sponsorship…this is a change management…moment.”
• Blockers:
  • Human resistance, lack of understanding, organizational inertia; not primarily technology or cost.
  • Many companies delegate to IT, missing the broader transformation:
    • “More than 50% of companies today…are still muscle memory into, like, ‘Oh, I’m going to have my CTO…lead this’…” (20:15)

4. Consumer Adoption & Impact

• Rapid Uptake, But Underutilization:
  • Consumers are on board (using ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.), but “90% are underutilizing and under- or misunderstanding” the power. (22:46)
• Zero Click Search & Behavior Change:
  • AI-driven “zero click search” is changing how consumers access information.
  • AI as creative partner, homework aid, even companionship tool.
• Enterprise Lagging Consumers:
  • Andy reiterates: “Companies lag and I think it’s hard. The technology is moving…so insane.” (25:29)
• Forecast:
  • Andy references a stat: “50% of consumer purchasing decisions will be…AI driven…will involve an LLM next year.” (27:11)

5. Marketers & Agencies: Adoption and Opportunities

• Marketing as Early Adopter:
  • Of all departments, marketing is furthest along in using AI creatively—not just for efficiency, but for ideation, automation, and full experience design.
    • Andy: “Marketing…is doing a better job than other departments…” (29:11)
  • Examples include AI-generated ad campaigns (e.g., Kalshi ad during NBA finals, IM8).
• Best Practices:
  • On “best practice agencies,” Adam points to examples in video but notes most agencies are still catching up, while consulting giants like Accenture and McKinsey are redefining their work due to AI.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On AI’s Acceleration:

  • Andy Sack (05:36): “We’re on an exponential curve. I feel it just trying to keep pace with the announcements.”
  • Adam Brotman (05:52): “…it went from just a simple chat model…to where now…reasoning and thinking is built in…which is wild to think about.”

• On Company Adoption:

  • Adam Brotman (16:02): “Those CEOs and boards that get that and lean into it in that way are going to get more traction…this is a multi-month CEO-led transformation…”

• On Consumers:

  • Adam Brotman (22:46): “The end consumer…just absolutely got on board. But…90% of the end consumer is underutilizing and misunderstanding the power.”

• On Marketers Thinking Bigger:

  • Andy Sack (29:11): “Marketing…is doing a better job than other departments…beyond just the efficiency thing…they’re actually pushing on the tool…”

• Practical AI Advice:

  • Andy Sack (38:34): “Use it 10 times a day. Not using it 10 times a day, you’re falling behind.”
  • Adam Brotman (39:12): “If you’re not…download [the AI app] on your phone…and use the advanced voice mode…Don’t try to become a prompt master. Just talk to it like a human.”

• Security WARNING:

  • Andy Sack (41:01): “You should have a verbal family password for security purposes…if you get a call…‘what’s the family password?’…to know whether you’re actually talking to your child or an AI bot.”

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Quote | |------|---------------| | 03:13 | [Start of panel] Andy/Adam give year in review of AI’s progress | | 05:36 | Are we still only at the beginning? (acceleration) | | 09:29 | "Tie-ups" in AI ecosystem: supply chains, chip makers, investments | | 13:12 | Winners and losers—capitalism, Meta’s billion-dollar salaries | | 16:02 | How boards/CEOs are reacting, change management vs. tech pilot | | 18:59 | “5%…95%” stat on corporate adoption progress | | 21:49 | Blockers to implementation—primarily human, not technical | | 22:46 | Consumer mass adoption, but underutilization | | 27:11 | “50% of consumer purchasing will be AI-driven next year” | | 29:11 | How marketing departments are ahead, specific use-cases | | 31:06 | References to breakthrough AI ad campaigns | | 34:42 | Predictions for 2026 (Apple’s big move, rise of agents, new devices) | | 36:22 | Adam’s prediction: 2026 = progress and societal backlash | | 38:34 | Practical advice—“use it 10 times a day” | | 39:12 | “Just talk to it like a human…use the thinking model” | | 41:01 | Family password security advice and shocking bot fraud anecdote |

Predictions for 2026

Andy Sack:

• Apple will enter AI in a major way, likely acquiring Perplexity. (34:42)
• “Year of the Agent” will arrive—proliferation of agentic AI assistants (from travel to wedding planning). (35:15)
• Non-keyboard, AI-enabled consumer devices (e.g., glasses, pins) will finally gain traction. (35:44)

Adam Brotman:

• 2026 will also bring tension and “bumpiness”—increased societal awareness and backlash over AI’s impact on jobs, the labor market, and economics. (36:22)
• Predicts exponential improvement and growing public debate/arousal about AI’s power.

Practical Tips & Warnings

• Daily AI Practice:

  • “Use it 10 times a day. If not, you’re falling behind.” – Andy (38:34)

• Communicate with AI Naturally:

  • “Don’t try to become a prompt master. Just talk to it like a human.” – Adam (39:12)
  • Choose “thinking models” in GPT-style apps for best results.

• Family & Business Security:

  • Establish a verbal password for urgent communications to avoid AI-based impersonation fraud. (41:01)

• Tool Recommendations:

  • Try out lovable.com for building applications via conversation—a strong tool for marketers.

• Case Studies:

  • Seek out Kalshi NBA Finals ad, IM8 video, for cutting-edge AI-generated creative.

Tone & Style

• The tone is candid, energetic, and blends enthusiasm with practical caution.
• Guests are direct about the “breathtaking” pace of change and offer actionable, down-to-earth advice.
• A strong, recurring message: the real blockers are human change and mindset, not just technology.

For Listeners Who Haven't Tuned In

This episode is an essential primer for business leaders, marketers, and technologists grappling with AI's velocity in both consumer and enterprise spheres. Andy and Adam draw sharp lines between true organizational leadership, shallow pilots, and the urgent need for practical experimentation. Actionable tips, startling stories, and big predictions round out a robust state-of-the-industry conversation.

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