Last week I sat in on two different agency calls with clients I'm supporting, and saw two very different versions of AI adoption.
The first call was solid.
The agency had clearly invested in understanding AI and working it into their service model. Better analysis, new dashboards, useful insights outside the original scope, and a stronger overall client experience.
That is the version of AI adoption that will keep clients.
The second call was with a large, well-known SEO agency, and it was rough.
The lead barely knew the numbers. The recommendations didn't follow from the data. It felt like the account manager was seeing the deck for the first time and trying to make a story up live.
That is the other version of AI adoption.
There are two plays here:
Use AI to improve the service.
Or use AI as cover for doing less of it.
If you retain agencies, I'd pay close attention to how their service changes this year.
Some agencies will use AI to go deeper, move faster, and bring better thinking to the table.
Others will use it to reduce labor, automate account management, and quietly lower the standard of work.
The difference will be pronounced.
Agencies that get this right won't just maintain their standards. They'll raise them.
Same effort. Same care. Better tools.
The ones using AI to cut corners are already easy to spot. Be wary of them.