Here's the test I'd run on any tool or add-on with "AI" in the pitch. It's 5 questions that fit in one demo call, and the vendor does the heavy lifting. Your job is to ask and watch.

A good vendor will be glad you asked. They get to show you the thing working.

"AI-powered" is on almost every sales deck now. From the outside, a real AI feature and an old service with a new label can look the same.

In August, the FTC finalized orders against Cox Media Group and 2 partner firms over an "Active Listening" ad service. It was sold as AI that could target local ads using conversations picked up by smart devices.

Per the FTC, the service wasn't based on voice data at all. CMG agreed to pay $880,000 and each partner firm $25,000, for $930,000 total, which goes back to CMG customers.

That case is on the public record, and it points to a simple fix: plain questions, plus a vendor willing to prove each answer in front of you. Any owner can run it.

Time: one demo call for Part A, about 20 minutes for Part B
Cost: $0

Bring one real example to the demo with all names and personal details removed: an invoice, a typical call, a quote, or a booking request. Then ask:

1. "Show me exactly what the AI does, step by step, and what a person on your side still does."

This tells you if there's real software doing the work or a team doing it by hand behind a new label.

2. "Run it live on my example, right now."

Watching it handle your real example shows you how it'll run on an ordinary Tuesday in your business.

3. "Where does my customer data go, who can see it, how long do you keep it, and do you train on it?"

Health practices, add one more: "Will you sign a BAA?" Patient data waits until that's signed. On the AI & Marketing for Home Service Pros podcast, guest Jim Johnson warned that AI tools built without security become "a ransomware target holding your customer data".

4. "What number will improve, how will I see it every month, who on your side checks it, and what happens if it doesn't?"

Ask for a cancel clause or refund term in writing. Here's what that can look like: on the Oct 6 episode of the same podcast, LiveSwitch's guest said the company refunds unhappy customers in full.

5. "If I leave, can I export my data and cancel without a long contract?"

A clear yes here is a good sign. Get it in writing too.

Step 1. Pull your last 3 months of card and bank statements.

Step 2. List every software charge with "AI" in the name or the sales pitch.

Step 3. For each one, answer: What does it cost each month? Who used it last week? What number did it move? Would I buy it again today?

Step 4. Cancel or downgrade anything your team skipped last month. On The Dental Boardroom podcast, dental-ops consultant Dr. Megan Shelton described practices paying hundreds per month for AI X-ray tools the doctors ignore.

Here's my honest read.

These 5 questions are a filter, and a good one. A solid vendor will pass them in a single call, and the ones who stall on a live run or a data export have told you what you need to know. Some of your current tools will pass the audit easily, and that's a fine result too. Your goal is knowing what each charge does for you.

Pick one AI charge on your statement and run Part B.

Then hit reply and tell me what you found and whether you're keeping it or cutting it. If you have a demo coming up, reply with the tool category and I'll consider it for a future test.

Nate