I’m standing at the Avatar Mountains in China, the place that inspired the movie Avatar. And everyone around me is doing the exact same thing: taking the same photos, from the same angles, at the same spots.
It’s a perfect metaphor for what’s happening with AI right now.
The problem with how people use AI
A billion people are using ChatGPT and other AI agents. And most of them are using it the exact same way. There’s no differentiation. No real strategy. Just following the crowd.
Meanwhile, there are so many local businesses out there. Plumbers, pest control companies, HVAC guys, real estate agents. All of them could dramatically improve their marketing with the right approach.
Where AI actually creates value
If these businesses do great work, take care of their customers, and believe in their reputation, AI can amplify all of that.
The young adults learning AI tools today are doing things we’ve already tested across tens of thousands of businesses. Things that actually work for local businesses and their communities.
AI isn’t replacing that work. It’s accelerating it. Think of AI agents as virtual assistants. The work has already been demonstrated and documented. Now we have agents executing it. Young adults are managing these teams of agents. They’re just not from the Philippines. They’re from the country of Anthropic or the country of Google Gemini.
Fixing education through micro agencies
The real opportunity is in partnering with universities like Johns Hopkins and SDSU to reshape the education system. Instead of spending four years in school, students can learn a micro skill and start earning money immediately using AI agents.
They can prove their value by driving real phone calls and real leads to roofers, plumbers, HVAC companies, and lawn care businesses. That’s what a job should be. That’s what an education should be. Something that leads directly to real employment.
Solving three problems at once
By partnering with schools, we’re solving three problems simultaneously.
First, we’re making the education system practical and results-driven.
Second, we’re giving local businesses better marketing so they can grow.
And third, we’re giving the next generation meaningful, valuable work that actually matters.
Be different because it matters
In a sea where everyone looks the same, we can do something different. Not for the sake of being different, but because it actually provides value.
That’s the whole point.
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is the CEO of Local Service Spotlight, a platform that amplifies the reputations of contractors and local service businesses using the Content Factory process. He is a former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on Google and Facebook ads for Nike, Quiznos, Ashley Furniture, Red Bull, State Farm, and other brands.
Dennis has achieved 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs by partnering with universities, professional organizations, and agencies. Through Local Service Spotlight, he teaches the Dollar a Day strategy and Content Factory training to help local service businesses enhance their existing local reputation and make the phone ring.
Dennis coaches young adult agency owners serving plumbers, AC technicians, landscapers, roofers, electricians, and believes there should be a standard in measuring local marketing efforts, much like doctors and plumbers must be certified.