Jason Phillips
Emerging Technologies Committee Member
Advanced Rotors, Inc.
Artificial intelligence is no longer something on the horizon—it is already changing how motor repair service centers operate, make decisions and compete. The real question for EASA members is not whether AI will play a role in their business, but whether they will take advantage of it early or struggle to catch up later. That is exactly why the AI sessions during the
2026 Convention & Solutions Expo are so important. Collectively, they provide a complete, practical path—from understanding AI tools to building smarter, more efficient operations around them—at a time when the industry is still in the early stages of adoption.
The first AI session during the convention is “AI Fundamentals: Hands-On Training with Tools You Can Use Today” on Saturday, June 13 from 1:30 to 2:45 PM. This session is designed to remove the intimidation factor and provide attendees with immediate, usable skills. The instructor, Joseph Mazzeo of Crossfire Consulting Corp, will demonstrate how to effectively use tools like ChatGPT, Google AI, Gemini, Claude and Copilot with a strong emphasis on how to ask the right questions to get high-quality results. For many attendees, this session will be the turning point where AI shifts from something abstract to something they can apply in their daily work. It is suggested that attendees have a tablet or laptop to get the most out of the exercises AND a free account on Perplexity plus at least one for ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude.
Immediately following Mazzeo’s 1:30 PM session, attendees can attend a second presentation led by him, “Reclaim Your Time: Advanced AI Tips for Shop Professionals” from 3:15 to 4:30 PM. During this session, Mazzeo will demonstrate how AI can eliminate administrative bottlenecks by organizing emails, generating reports and presentations, capturing meeting notes, and streamlining marketing and communication tasks. The speaker will demonstrate that AI is highly practical and focused on saving time, improving organization, and increasing individual productivity without requiring complex systems or technical expertise. The focus of this presentation will be to demonstrate where AI begins to deliver immediate operational relief in the day-to-day workload of a service center.
The AI sessions continue on Monday, June 15 from 9:45 to 10:45 AM with “AI in the Motor Shop: From Individual Tools to Intelligent Systems.” This session led by Devlin Liles will elevate the conversation from simply using AI tools to building structured, scalable capability within an organization. Attendees will be introduced to a powerful framework—tools, storage, collaboration and governance—that explains how AI evolves from individual productivity into a true operational advantage. This is where service centers will begin to capture institutional knowledge, standardize processes, improve troubleshooting and drive measurable improvements such as reduced downtime and increased efficiency.
What makes the opportunity to attend these AI convention sessions especially compelling is that AI adoption is already happening—but unevenly. According to a 2026 EASA survey titled “AI Adoption in EASA Service Centers,” many EASA service centers are currently using AI for emails (50%), customer communication (37%), and quoting (31%), while others are still unsure where to begin. That gap represents a major opportunity. Service centers that begin implementing AI thoughtfully today can gain efficiency, improve consistency and extend the reach of their expertise, while those that wait risk falling behind as expectations continue to evolve.
AI adoption is not about replacing skilled technicians or decades of experience. It is about amplifying that expertise, preserving it and making it more accessible across your organization. In an industry where knowledge is one of your most valuable assets, AI provides a way to capture it, scale it and use it more effectively than ever before.
The bottom line is simple: each of these convention sessions delivers value on its own—but together, the sessions create a complete roadmap. You will learn how to use AI tools, apply them to real work and begin building systems that make your shop smarter, faster and more competitive.
If you are serious about improving efficiency, staying competitive and preparing your operation for the future, make time to attend the 2026 Convention & Solutions Expo and take advantage of the Saturday afternoon and Monday morning AI sessions. Bring your team, engage with the material and take the first step toward putting AI to work in your service center. And, don’t forget about EASA’s very own virtual assistant, Eddy!
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