CAR BUYING: Buying a car has long ranked somewhere between root canals and tax audits on the stress scale. But thanks to artificial intelligence, the dealership dance is finally getting a rewrite — and it’s about time.

“AI is completely reshaping the car buying experience,” says Zach Shefska, CEO of CarEdge. “It’s bringing transparency, efficiency and trust to a process that’s resisted change for decades.”

Here are 10 ways AI is turning chaos into clarity:

No more guesswork: AI exposes hidden markups and fake “great deal” badges.
Negotiation help: It crunches numbers and talks to dealers so you don’t have to.
Spam shield: AI contacts dealers without giving away your email or phone.
Smart matching: Tell it what you want — it finds the car.
Market insight: AI tracks prices, rates and incentives in real time.
Dealer fairness: Ethical dealers get rewarded, shady ones get skipped.
Time saver: It handles the legwork so you can skip the showroom shuffle.
Contract confidence: AI flags last-minute pricing surprises before you sign.
Smarter shoppers: You walk in informed, not overwhelmed.
More human: Less pressure, more excitement — finally.

Bottom line? AI is making car buying feel less like a battle and more like a win-win. Whether you’re a buyer or a dealer, the road ahead is smarter, faster and — dare we say — fun.

“For consumers, that means a simpler, fairer experience. For dealers, it means efficiency, lower overhead, and stronger long-term relationships,” Shefska said.

Reprinted with permission from Merilee Kern, MBA, an internationally regarded brand strategist and analyst who reports on cultural shifts and trends as well as noteworthy industry change makers, movers, shakers and innovators.