{"id":5658,"date":"2025-03-25T18:36:47","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T22:36:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teresadurham.com\/?p=5658"},"modified":"2025-03-25T18:36:47","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T22:36:47","slug":"ai-hype-is-real-but-so-are-the-ftc-fines-how-to-avoid-falling-for-the-okey-doke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teresadurham.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/25\/ai-hype-is-real-but-so-are-the-ftc-fines-how-to-avoid-falling-for-the-okey-doke\/","title":{"rendered":"AI Hype is Real &#8211; But So Are the FTC Fines. How to Avoid Falling for the Okey Doke"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Why I\u2019m not surprised the feds are side-eyeing your favorite \u201cAI gurus\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve attended any of my webinars or watched my AI videos ( if not, we\u2019re gonna fix that in a minute), then you\u2019ve already heard me say this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\"><strong>Just because someone knows how to spell \u201cAI\u201d doesn\u2019t mean they have built a solid, dependable solution or tool to solve your business issue.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, guess who\u2019s finally joining the conversation? That\u2019s right \u2014 the Federal Trade Commission. Their latest crackdown targets the surge of exaggerated, unsubstantiated AI marketing claims from folks out here selling \u201cmagic bots\u201d that\u2019ll do everything from writing your website copy to walking your dog. (Okay, I made that last one up \u2014 but give it a month.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In their own words: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cClaims around artificial intelligence have become more prevalent in the marketplace, including frequent promises about the ways it could potentially enhance people\u2019s lives through automation and problem solving.\u201d<\/em><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/news-events\/news\/press-releases\/2024\/09\/ftc-announces-crackdown-deceptive-ai-claims-schemes\">FTC Press Release \u2013 September 25, 2024<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Just because it sounds futuristic doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s true \u2014 or legal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why This Matters for You<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you\u2019re in tech, product development, the public sector, or running your own business, chances are someone\u2019s pitched you an \u201cAI-powered solution\u201d in the past 90 days. Maybe it promised to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Run your ops team on autopilot<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Triple your productivity by Tuesday<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Replace half your staff with a chatbot named Ava (who, by the way, never needs PTO)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And hey \u2014 AI is powerful. I use it all the time. But here\u2019s the difference: I use it realistically. Strategically. Responsibly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve explored how I might leverage AI as an early adopter and offer my clients real solutions to real problems. I\u2019ve even built a few things based on fellow AI enthusiasts\u2019 hype \u2014 but preliminary testing let me down every time. Inconsistency. Hallucinations. Mystery disconnections. You name it. I\u2019ve yet to come up with something I\u2019d feel comfortable putting my name on and selling in good faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe that\u2019s a <em>me<\/em> problem. But then the FTC spoke up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Too many agencies are rolling out fresh-from-the-lab tools without field testing, without guardrails, and without a clue about operational fit. They\u2019re selling possibility as if it were reliability. And when things inevitably don\u2019t go as promised? You\u2019re left with a blown budget, a burned-out team, and a software subscription you\u2019re scared to cancel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Ethan \u2014 the founder of a barely-out-of-beta \u201cAI agency\u201d \u2014 is already on YouTube telling others how to make million$ selling the same shaky solution to someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What You Should Actually Be Asking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before signing on to anything labeled \u201cAI,\u201d ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Has this tool been tested in an environment like mine?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is the output consistent and verifiable \u2014 or just flashy?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will this streamline operations, or just stack another dashboard on my team\u2019s plate?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is the support model? <em>Is<\/em> there a support model?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you can\u2019t get straight answers, walk away. Don\u2019t get roped into a bad deal just because you&#8217;re afraid of being \u201cleft behind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Want the Real Scoop on AI (Minus the Hype)?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to get smart about AI \u2014 without the sales pitch? I spent 10 weeks breaking it all down: what AI is, how it\u2019s used, where the risks are, and what\u2019s real. No hype, no fearmongering \u2014 just facts (and my occasional goofy humor).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Watch the full series here:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL72yW8hOaye_VK2OurQIB6FwOssd6R1ap&amp;si=6ALPznDgDPzVr8K1\">Tuesdays with Teresa<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because before you invest in AI, you deserve to understand it. And before you let someone automate your workflow, make sure they know what a workflow is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So\u2026 Where Do You Go From Here?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, I don\u2019t claim to be an AI expert \u2014 but I know enough to be dangerous (and productive). What I <em>do<\/em> know is good business practice, risk management, and how to think strategically when it comes to technology decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why I have a solid track record of helping organizations reach their goals through the successful delivery of projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a business chameleon, I\u2019ve worked across multiple industries and adapted to all kinds of project environments. I\u2019m agile like that. And I can help you make yours successful too \u2014 with or without AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Intrigued? Let\u2019s chat:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/trenedurham\/30min\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/trenedurham\/30min\">Schedule a conversation<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just because someone knows how to spell \u201cAI\u201d doesn\u2019t mean they have built a solid, dependable solution or tool to solve your business issue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5659,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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