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Businesses Are Making a Costly AI Mistake, and It Isn’t What You Think

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NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Artificial intelligence is one of the most powerful business tools ever created. Yet as companies race to integrate AI into nearly every aspect of their operations, many are making the same costly mistake: replacing human expertise and critical thinking with technology instead of using technology to strengthen them.

Kristen Kukta, founder and CEO of Nashville-based advertising and public relations firm Unblurred Media, says the biggest threat isn’t AI itself. It’s the growing number of businesses that assume AI-generated information is accurate simply because it sounds convincing.

“The most dangerous thing about AI isn’t that it gets something wrong. It’s that it can sound so confident that people stop questioning the answer,” said Kukta. “AI is one of the most powerful business tools ever created, but it’s still a tool. It should support human expertise and critical thinking, not replace them.”

“Many people believe AI searches the entire internet, compares every source, separates fact from fiction and always delivers the right answer. It doesn’t,” Kukta continued. “AI analyzes enormous amounts of information and recognizes patterns to generate responses, but it doesn’t think like a human, independently verify every fact or understand the unique context behind your business. That’s why human expertise still matters, especially when it comes to a business’s marketing needs.”

As AI adoption accelerates, businesses are being flooded with promises that technology can replace marketing teams, customer service departments and even strategic decision making. Kukta says the hype is creating unrealistic expectations about both results and cost, leading many business owners to believe effective marketing should now be inexpensive simply because AI is involved.

“AI can make certain tasks faster, but it does not eliminate the need for a realistic marketing budget,” Kukta said. “Your competitors are still investing in advertising, building their brands and competing for the same customers. AI improves efficiency, but it doesn’t replace strategy, testing, media buying or experience. Businesses that chase cheap marketing because AI is involved often spend less upfront only to waste far more on solutions that were never capable of delivering the results they were promised.”

The marketing industry is now seeing that same misconception play out in search engine marketing.

“Ten years ago, agencies promised businesses immediate Page One rankings on Google. Today, many are making the same promise about appearing in ChatGPT and other AI platforms,” Kukta said. “But SEO has never produced overnight results, and AEO doesn’t either. Both require time, authority, credible content and a strong digital presence. AEO should be viewed as one component of a long-term digital strategy, not as a replacement for paid advertising, lead generation or human sales conversations.”

Automation presents similar challenges. While AI can improve efficiency and streamline repetitive tasks, it cannot replace trust, empathy or the relationships that drive business growth.

According to PwC’s 2025 Customer Experience Survey, 86% of consumers say human interaction remains important to their experience with a brand. Research from InsideSales found businesses are more than eight times more likely to qualify a lead when responding within the first five minutes. Automation can provide that immediate acknowledgment, but it should never replace the conversation.

“Automation has an important place, but it should not become your front desk, your sales team or the person responsible for building trust,” Kukta said. “The goal isn’t to replace people. It’s to help your team respond faster, stay organized and spend more time doing what technology can’t: building relationships, answering questions and earning trust.”

As businesses continue investing in artificial intelligence, Kukta encourages business owners to separate the hype from reality before making decisions that affect their marketing, customer relationships and long-term growth.

“Businesses shouldn’t be asking how AI can replace people,” Kukta said. “They should be asking how AI can make good people even better. That’s where the real competitive advantage is. AI doesn’t replace expertise. It amplifies it.”

About Unblurred Media

Unblurred Media is a Nashville-based advertising, public relations and digital marketing agency specializing in strategic marketing for medical practices, med spas, law firms, Amazon brands and growth-focused businesses. From digital advertising and public relations to website development, CRM automation and Amazon storefront management, Unblurred Media combines data-driven strategy, creative expertise and emerging technology to help clients strengthen their brands, attract qualified leads and achieve measurable growth. For more information, visit www.UnblurredMedia.com. 

Media Contact: pr@unblurredmedia.com 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/businesses-are-making-a-costly-ai-mistake-and-it-isnt-what-you-think-302833483.html

SOURCE Unblurred Media LLC

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XLCS Partners advises Concurrent Utility Services on sale to UniTek Global Services

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July 23, 2026

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NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — XLCS Partners, Inc., a leading middle market investment bank, is pleased to announce that it served as exclusive M&A advisor to Concurrent Utility Services LLC on its acquisition by UniTek Global Services, Inc., a portfolio company of New Mountain Finance Corporation (Nasdaq: NMFC) and its affiliates, and BTG Pactual Strategic Capital.

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Concurrent is a licensed general and electrical contractor providing infrastructure development and maintenance services to electric utilities, telecom providers, and land developers throughout the Southeast United States. The company’s capabilities span overhead and underground utility construction, professional telecom services, emergency service restoration, in-building networks, environmental services, and data center development. Backed by a safety-first culture and an experienced workforce, Concurrent has built a strong regional platform and a reputation for quality across the markets it serves.

UniTek is a leading digital infrastructure services provider supporting the expansion of fiber and data center connectivity across the U.S. and Canada. With over 600 employees and 60 locations, UniTek delivers a full suite of infrastructure services. The acquisition of Concurrent accelerates UniTek’s Power Services Division, which launched in July 2025 to broaden the company’s maintenance, repair, upgrade, and new infrastructure development services for the power sector. Concurrent’s established Southeast footprint and power capabilities directly complement UniTek’s existing broadband and data center infrastructure platform, positioning the combined company to capitalize on growing demand for resilient, modernized power infrastructure. Concurrent will continue to operate under its established brand, maintaining uninterrupted service for its customers.

“Selling Concurrent was one of the biggest decisions of my career, and Anthony, Jay, and the XLCS team guided us through every step with professionalism and genuine care for our people,” said Steve Sarno, CEO of Concurrent. “They stayed fully engaged throughout, gave us honest and thoughtful advice, kept our best interests front and center, and delivered an outcome that exceeded our expectations. I would recommend them without hesitation to any owner considering a transaction.”

XLCS acted as the exclusive M&A advisor to Concurrent, and the transaction was led by Anthony Contaldo, Partner, and Jay Cremer, Vice President. The transaction was completed on July 1, 2026.

About XLCS Partners, Inc.

XLCS Partners is a leading global investment banking firm providing M&A advisory services. Visit www.xlcspartners.com for more information.

Media Contact: 
Kendra Span 
kspan@xlcspartners.com
615-379-7783

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xlcs-partners-advises-concurrent-utility-services-on-sale-to-unitek-global-services-302833542.html

SOURCE XLCS Partners, Inc.

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XLCS Partners advises Concurrent Utility Services on sale to UniTek Global Services

Published

14 minutes ago

on

July 23, 2026

By

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — XLCS Partners, Inc., a leading middle market investment bank, is pleased to announce that it served as exclusive M&A advisor to Concurrent Utility Services LLC on its acquisition by UniTek Global Services, Inc., a portfolio company of New Mountain Finance Corporation (Nasdaq: NMFC) and its affiliates, and BTG Pactual Strategic Capital.

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Concurrent is a licensed general and electrical contractor providing infrastructure development and maintenance services to electric utilities, telecom providers, and land developers throughout the Southeast United States. The company’s capabilities span overhead and underground utility construction, professional telecom services, emergency service restoration, in-building networks, environmental services, and data center development. Backed by a safety-first culture and an experienced workforce, Concurrent has built a strong regional platform and a reputation for quality across the markets it serves.

UniTek is a leading digital infrastructure services provider supporting the expansion of fiber and data center connectivity across the U.S. and Canada. With over 600 employees and 60 locations, UniTek delivers a full suite of infrastructure services. The acquisition of Concurrent accelerates UniTek’s Power Services Division, which launched in July 2025 to broaden the company’s maintenance, repair, upgrade, and new infrastructure development services for the power sector. Concurrent’s established Southeast footprint and power capabilities directly complement UniTek’s existing broadband and data center infrastructure platform, positioning the combined company to capitalize on growing demand for resilient, modernized power infrastructure. Concurrent will continue to operate under its established brand, maintaining uninterrupted service for its customers.

“Selling Concurrent was one of the biggest decisions of my career, and Anthony, Jay, and the XLCS team guided us through every step with professionalism and genuine care for our people,” said Steve Sarno, CEO of Concurrent. “They stayed fully engaged throughout, gave us honest and thoughtful advice, kept our best interests front and center, and delivered an outcome that exceeded our expectations. I would recommend them without hesitation to any owner considering a transaction.”

XLCS acted as the exclusive M&A advisor to Concurrent, and the transaction was led by Anthony Contaldo, Partner, and Jay Cremer, Vice President. The transaction was completed on July 1, 2026.

About XLCS Partners, Inc.

XLCS Partners is a leading global investment banking firm providing M&A advisory services. Visit www.xlcspartners.com for more information.

Media Contact: 
Kendra Span 
kspan@xlcspartners.com
615-379-7783

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xlcs-partners-advises-concurrent-utility-services-on-sale-to-unitek-global-services-302833542.html

SOURCE XLCS Partners, Inc.

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Fathom Applauds Introduction of the FRONTIER Act, the First Federal Blueprint for Independent AI Verification

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14 minutes ago

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July 23, 2026

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Reps. Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23) introduce a bill to build a competitive marketplace of independent verifiers for frontier AI models.

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Fathom welcomes the introduction of the FRONTIER Act, the most complete federal framework yet for independent, third-party verification of frontier AI. The legislation is built to earn public trust as AI technology continues to accelerate. As frontier systems begin to take autonomous action in the world, the gap between what these models can do and our ability to keep them in check is widening. FRONTIER is the starting point to close that gap.

“AI governance keeps running into the same wall. The technology is hard to measure and it moves faster than any law can keep up with,” said Andrew Freedman, Co-Founder and CEO of Fathom. “Trying to write the perfect rules and freezing them in place won’t work. What will work is a competitive market of independent verifiers who are accountable for real-world outcomes and who the government can actually count on. The FRONTIER Act shows we can move fast and still get this right.”

The bill gets the fundamentals correct. It sets one public standard – the adequate mitigation of catastrophic risk – and holds both the AI companies and their independent verifiers accountable to it. FRONTIER does not freeze a single testing method into statute. Instead, it licenses competing verification organizations, allows them to sharpen their methods, and gives the government the power to revoke a license when a verifier’s work does not hold up in the field. That is how you build a system that keeps pace with the science instead of falling behind it.

Fathom thanks Reps. Trahan and Obernolte for their leadership, and for their courage in releasing a discussion draft, inviting scrutiny, and incorporating substantive improvements from across the field. One priority improvement as the bill advances: giving the government a fuller range of tools to act upstream – for pushing companies to close identified gaps in risk mitigation early, rather than only once a catastrophe is imminent. We are committed to working with these sponsors, committees of jurisdiction, and Congressional leadership to continue refining the bill in the weeks and months ahead.

About Fathom
Fathom is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to build a governance architecture that helps society navigate the transition to a world with AI by fostering trust, safety, and innovation. Fathom has developed and championed the independent verification model for AI and works with policymakers across the country to put it into practice. Learn more at http://fathom.org.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fathom-applauds-introduction-of-the-frontier-act-the-first-federal-blueprint-for-independent-ai-verification-302833546.html

SOURCE Fathom AI Inc.

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