Authority Hacker Podcast – AI & Automation for Small biz & Marketers

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1885879/open_sms] Is Google's new Gemini 2.5 Flash the image AI revolution everyone's claiming, or just another overhyped tool?  AI influencers are calling it "insane" and "the best thing since sliced bread."  But after 24 hours of brutal testing, we discovered the unfiltered truth. In this episode, we go beyond the hype. including: 👉 The LM Arena results: Why it jumped 180 points above previous models (15% improvement) 👉 The YouTube thumbnail test: How it handles complex image combinations and edits 👉 The critical flaws: Why it loses context after 3-4 generations and creates fake "transparent" backgrounds 👉 The hidden gems: Two new Google tools (PicShop and Co-Drawing) that actually work 👉 Real-world tests: Facebook ads, infographics, text editing, and photo restoration 👉 The safety trap: Why it refuses to edit photos with children (even when it's you) 👉 Head-to-head comparison: How it stacks up against ChatGPT and Grok for the same tasks 👉 The $0.04 question: Is it worth switching from your current AI image workflow? CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - Is Gemini 2.5 Flash Revolutionary or Overhyped? 00:00:59 - What is Gemini 2.5 Flash Image? 00:03:24 - LM Arena Benchmark Results 00:04:30 - YouTube Thumbnail Combination Test 00:07:00 - Facebook Ad Creation with Manta Mask 00:08:18 - Safety Issues with Children in Images 00:09:23 - Creating Brand Avatars 00:10:25 - Transparent Background Problems 00:12:44 - Using AI for Design Variations 00:14:40 - Mr. Beast Thumbnail Challenge 00:16:10 - Real Estate Infographic Test 00:18:02 - Text Editing Capabilities 00:20:01 - Airbnb Photo Editing (Ladder Removal) 00:22:32 - Van Gogh Style Transfer 00:23:27 - Glasses Removal Test vs Grok 00:25:07 - Google's New Tools: PicShop & Co-Drawing 00:28:03 - Why This Matters More Than GPT-5 00:30:26 - Perplexity Copyright Lawsuits 00:33:14 - AI Agents vs Automation Reality Check 00:39:10 - N8N and Make.com Pricing Changes 00:43:19 - Current AI Model Selection & Stack

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1885879/open_sms] What if the world's most powerful AI model was also the most deceptive? The GPT-5 hype is exploding, with reports of it crushing every benchmark.  But how does it perform on real-world business tasks?  In this episode, we go beyond the hype. After 12 hours of brutal, hands-on testing, we reveal the unfiltered truth about the new GPT-5 family of models. We show you exactly what GPT-5 means for your business, including: 👉 The results of 7 brutal tests designed for online business owners.  👉 The critical flaw: How GPT-5 hallucinates and literally tried to deceive me.  👉 The secret weapon: Why GPT-5 Mini might be the most important AI model for your business.  👉 The ultimate showdown: How GPT-5 stacks up against Gemini 2.5 Pro and Claude Opus.  👉 A full breakdown of the new, cheaper API that could change everything for developers.  Stop reading sponsored posts and benchmark lists. Watch now to get the complete, unfiltered guide to what GPT-5 really means for your business. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - My Brutally Honest GPT-5 Review 00:02:42 - Benchmarks: Is GPT-5 Really the Smartest? 00:03:46 - The Hallucination Test: GPT-5 Lied To Me 00:07:52 - The REAL Game-Changer: GPT-5 vs GPT-5 Mini API 00:10:01 - Test 1: High-Stakes Email Writing 00:13:42 - Test 2: Ad Analysis 00:16:05 - Test 3: One shot vibe coding 00:19:23 - Test 4: Product Launch Plan 00:21:33 - Test 5: LinkedIn Post 00:24:18 - Test 6: Needle in haystack 00:25:59 - Final Verdict & The "Sleeper" Model

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1885879/open_sms] Is traditional SEO dead? And is "ranking" on ChatGPT and other AI chatbots the new frontier for traffic and sales? Many businesses are seeing their search traffic decline, while a new, highly-lucrative source of customers is emerging from AI-driven conversations. But how do you tap into this new channel? And what happens when AI starts giving out outdated or just plain wrong information about your brand? In this episode, we're joined by Steve Toth, founder of the AI-focused agency Notebook.agency, to break down the new world of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). We explore the real-world opportunities and the hype surrounding AI-driven traffic. The game has changed, and what worked for Google yesterday might not work for AI assistants tomorrow. In this episode, you will learn: 👉 The Truth About AI Traffic: Is the traffic from chatbots a tiny trickle or a high-converting firehose? We look at the real data. 👉 Why AI Gets Your Business Wrong: We share our own shocking experience of how ChatGPT described our business using two-year-old information and what you can do about it. 👉 Mastering "Generative Engine Optimization" (GEO): Steve reveals practical, actionable tips to influence what AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity say about your brand. 👉 Beyond Keywords - Winning "Deal-Breaker" Questions: Learn why optimizing for specific, high-intent customer questions within LLMs is more powerful than traditional keyword ranking. 👉 On-Page & Off-Page GEO: Discover how to structure your website content for optimal AI retrieval and how to correct misinformation about your brand on external sites like Reddit. 👉 The "Truth Alignment Framework": Steve unveils his agency's process for auditing and correcting how AI represents a brand online, ensuring your key features and selling points are accurately reflected. 👉 Prompt Injection & Future-Proofing: We explore some cutting-edge (and slightly controversial) techniques to feed information directly to AI models and discuss where this is all heading. Stop letting AI misrepresent your business. Learn how to take control of your brand's narrative in the new age of search and turn AI chatbots into a powerful channel for high-intent customers. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxwMMROFWPc] - Intro: Is AI Traffic Overhyped? 00:02:49 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxwMMROFWPc&t=169s] - What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)? 00:04:05 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxwMMROFWPc&t=245s] - How AI Search Works: "Fan-Out" vs. "Agentic" Queries 00:06:17 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxwMMROFWPc&t=377s] - Is GEO Just a New Name for SEO? 00:08:29 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxwMMROFWPc&t=509s] - The Risk of Bloating Your Site for AI 00:11:14 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxwMMROFWPc&t=674s] - Do LLMs Trust Your Website's Information? 00:12:55 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxwMMROFWPc&t=775s] - Tracking Your Brand's Presence in LLMs 00:18:05 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxwMMROFWPc&t=1085s] - Are AI Recommendations Driving High-Intent Sales? 00:23:08 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxwMMROFWPc&t=1388s] - Will Higher Conversions Offset Lower Traffic? 00:30:03 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxwMMROFWPc&t=1803s] - The Step-by-Step GEO Process 00:34:22 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxwMMROFWPc&t=2062s] - How to Structure Content for AI Retrieval 00:41:31 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxwMMROFWPc&t=2491s] - Correcting Misinformation & Off-Page GEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxwMMROFWPc&t=2709s

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1885879/open_sms] Thanks to Fatjoe for Sponsoring this episode. Check out their white label Digital PR campaign services here: https://fatjoe.com/pr-campaigns/ Want to work directly with us? https://www.systemstack.ai/ --- What if you could rebuild a $16,000 web app in under a week without writing a single line of code? The AI coding hype is exploding, but the reality is more challenging than most tutorials show. In this episode, we cut through the hype to give you the real-world playbook for building a powerful web app with AI, even if you're a complete beginner. We show you exactly how to build and launch an AI-powered tool from scratch, including: 👉 The A-Z playbook for turning an idea into a fully functional app.  👉 How to use AI to build, debug, and deploy your project securely for free.  👉 The vital planning process that prevents you from rebuilding your app three times over.  👉 How to protect your project from bots, budget-draining API calls, and major security holes.  Stop watching over-hyped tutorials. Watch now to get the complete, unfiltered guide to building real-world AI applications. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - Rebuilding a $16k App With AI 00:01:33 - The "BrandSnap" App Demo 00:07:12 - How The App is Monetized 00:11:25 - Step 1: Planning Your App 00:14:49 - Step 2: Setting Up The AI 00:23:17 - Step 3: Prompting The AI 00:32:30 - Securing Your AI App 00:38:32 - Step 4: Deploying For FREE 00:42:04 - Live Debugging 00:47:24 - The Future of Vibe Coding

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1885879/open_sms] Want more AI tips & tricks for marketers & business owners? https://www.authorityhacker.com/subscribe/ Want to work directly with us? https://www.systemstack.ai/ --- What if you could launch a service business that charges clients $4,000 to $8,000 per month?  Traditional cold email is broken. In this episode, we reveal the complete blueprint for an AI-powered outreach system that gets replies and builds a real business. We show you exactly how to build and scale this service, including: 👉 The A-Z blueprint for our automated client-getting machine.  👉 The "$1 Lead Hack" to get 1,000s of prospects for almost free.  👉 Our "secret prompt" for writing hyper-personalized emails with AI.  👉 The "no-brainer" offer to land your first high-paying client.  Stop sending emails that get ignored. Watch now to build a real AI business from the ground up. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - The $8k/mo AI Model 00:03:22 - The Deliverability Game 00:06:12 - The $1 Lead Hack 00:08:17 - Building The 'AI Brain' 00:19:51 - Our Secret Prompt 00:26:50 - Man vs. Machine 00:32:16 - The 'No-Brainer' Offer