A new survey finds auto dealers are adopting machine learning and predictive modeling technology at an accelerating rate, a trend Lotlinx’s Lance Schafer attributes to a growing need to make “better, faster business decisions” that affect inventory management and pricing.

In a new DealerELITE post, Schafer, who serves as Lotlinx’s general manager of product and technology, says large language models, agentic AI and vertical AI have become “vital tools” embedded in a growing number of dealer-facing systems and solutions.

“A recent industry survey shows that nearly 30% of dealers are already using machine learning, and another 30% are utilizing predictive modeling — up from just 21% in late 2024,” Schafer writes. “When it comes to vehicle pricing decisions, approximately 40% of dealers are leveraging machine-driven technologies for both new and used vehicles and a strong majority (over 60%) of those dealers say these tools have improved their ability to optimize pricing strategies.”

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