I have been the AI commentator on FOX 5 New York for the past two years. The segments below are the ones where the anchors asked the questions business owners ask me in private: does a chatbot actually help, will AI take my team's jobs, what should a one-person company automate first. Each clip is embedded with a short note on what I said and what I would add now, because the tools have moved fast even since June 2025.
What is the difference between ChatGPT and a chatbot?
The distinction the anchors kept coming back to. ChatGPT knows everything in general and nothing about your business. A chatbot built for your company knows your hours, prices, calendar and tone, and it should book the appointment, not just chat. If your website has a chat bubble that cannot book a meeting or take a payment, it is a toy.
ChatGPT vs. chatbots: understanding the key differences
My most-watched AI segment. ChatGPT is a general assistant; a chatbot is a trained employee that knows your business, your hours, your prices and your calendar. Different tools for different jobs, and most companies need both.
ChatGPT vs. chatbots: AI in the workforce, pros and cons
Part two of the ChatGPT-versus-chatbot conversation, focused on the workforce: which roles change first, and what a manager should tell a team that is worried.
Do AI chatbots actually help a business?
Three segments in one week in June 2025, because the story kept getting booked. My position has not changed: the value is not the conversation, it is the missed call that gets answered at 9 PM and turns into a booked appointment by 9:02. People do not hate bots; they hate bots that make them repeat themselves.
Chatbots for business: revolutionizing customer service
What a modern AI chatbot actually does for a business: answers the phone and the website at 9 PM, books the appointment, and hands a warm lead to a human in the morning. I demoed the difference between a scripted bot and an AI one.
Chatbots: good for business, bad for the customer?
The anchors pushed on the fair objection: everyone hates talking to a bot. My answer is that people hate bad bots. A good one gets you an answer in fifteen seconds and never makes you repeat yourself.
AI chatbots: the business renaissance
Why I think AI chatbots are the biggest lift for owner-run firms since the website. The math: a missed call is a lost customer, and a bot that answers every call pays for itself in the first month.
Is AI replacing jobs, and is that good or bad for business?
The most-watched segment of my 2025 appearances. AI replaces tasks faster than it replaces jobs. The front desk, the inbox and the first sales call change first, and the people in those seats become supervisors of a system. The owners who win redeploy people to the work customers actually pay for.
AI replacing jobs: good or bad for business?
The segment that drew the most viewers of my 2025 appearances. The honest answer: AI is replacing tasks faster than it replaces jobs, and the owners who win are the ones redeploying people to the work that customers actually pay for.
How chatbots are changing jobs in 2025
A short version of the jobs conversation: the front desk, the inbox and the first sales call are changing first. The people in those seats become supervisors of the system rather than the system.
Where is AI already working in New York?
Two segments on the ground truth: where AI is running in the city today and what a one-person company should automate first. My order is always the same: intake, follow-up, then bookkeeping. Nothing else until those three run without you.
How AI is transforming New York City
From hospitals to the MTA to the small firms in Midtown, where AI is already working in the city and where it is still a press release. Practical, not futuristic.
Is your side hustle ready for the AI revolution?
One person with the right AI tools can now run what used to take a small team. I gave the three things a solo operator should automate first: intake, follow-up and bookkeeping.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Chris Dessi say about AI chatbots on Fox 5?
That a chatbot is only worth having if it is trained on your business and can book an appointment or take a payment. A general chat bubble that cannot complete a task costs you credibility. He also argues customers do not hate bots; they hate bots that make them repeat themselves.
- Is ChatGPT the same as a business chatbot?
No. ChatGPT is a general-purpose assistant. A business chatbot is trained on one company's hours, pricing, calendar and FAQs and is connected to its booking and CRM systems. Most companies benefit from both, used for different jobs.
- Will AI replace jobs in small and mid-size companies?
AI is replacing tasks faster than jobs. Front-desk, inbox and first-call work changes first. Dessi's advice to owners is to redeploy people toward the work customers pay for, and to make the people in changing roles the supervisors of the new systems.
- What should a company automate first with AI?
Intake (answering every call and web inquiry instantly), follow-up (sequenced, automatic, measured), and then bookkeeping. Torque AI's engagements start with exactly those three because they produce revenue fastest.
- How can I book Chris Dessi for a TV segment or keynote on AI?
Through the booking form at christopherdessi.com/press or by emailing [email protected]. Keynotes, partner retreats and media appearances are booked through the press page.
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