Check out our new The REAL AI Podcast for this week – Episode 10 1/20/26 – AI generated with host Miles and Grace
REAL AI: Why Apple + Google AI falls short, New AI Podcast, AI stats and facts, headlines, and AI quote of the week
By Kevin Hawkins with Korey Hawkins | Jan. 20, 2025 – Vol. 4 Issue 3
REAL AI is the industry’s first and most popular weekly newsletter that helps real estate pros keep up with the most relevant developments in AI to save time, stay informed, and use technology that actually helps their business today.
Do you have your AI playbook for 2026? Buy The REAL AI Guide – on Amazon here.
Why Apple + Google AI falls short
Apple made headlines by revealing that Google’s Gemini will power some of its new AI features on the iPhone. But most people are missing the big downside.
Apple’s move sounds great on the surface. Smarter Siri. Better writing tools. AI baked right into your iPhone. Most missed that the Google partnership isn’t exclusive. That means ChatGPT, Claude, and others can eventually plug in. That part is vital.
But there’s a much bigger issue almost no one is talking about, especially if you’re an agent thinking this means your favorite AI Chatbot you’ve trained for years will now power your iPhone. Not exactly.
Here’s the problem in plain English: the AI you’ve spent years training isn’t coming with you.
The “two-brain problem”
Apple Intelligence is effectively creating two separate brains on your phone. One lives deep inside iOS and powers Siri, summaries, and on-screen awareness. The other is an “extension” brain: the ChatGPT Plus or Business account or another model you can optionally call on when Siri taps out. They are not the same brain. They do not share memory. And they don’t learn from each other.
The first brain, the native Apple Intelligence brain, has amnesia. It doesn’t have the memory you’ve built. It doesn’t know your writing style. It doesn’t know you’re a real estate agent, a broker, or how you talk to clients. It doesn’t know your past prompts, built-in instructions, workflows, or institutional knowledge you’ve built up inside your paid ChatGPT or Gemini account. That remains separate from the Apple Intelligence that will power your iPhone.
The second brain, the one you can toggle on when Siri asks, “Do you want me to ask ChatGPT?” does know you. But only if you link your account and call it up to act manually, on an ad hoc basis.
The second brain is where your custom instructions live. Your hard-earned AI muscle memory lives there, too. But your second brain is blind to what’s happening on your phone in real time. It doesn’t see the email Siri just summarized. It doesn’t know what’s on your screen. It only knows what you manually feed it.
The friction
Siri might know everything about today – your calendar, your messages, your texts – but nothing about you. ChatGPT might know everything about you – your business, your tone, your brand voice and writing style – but nothing about today. And you’re stuck playing middleman, copying and pasting context between the two like it’s not already 2026.
The reason for the two brains is simple: Apple’s obsession with security across the iPhone and its entire ecosystem. Sharing memory would require opening a door that Apple believes introduces too much risk.
The takeaway
This isn’t a “don’t use Apple Intelligence” plea. You should. The takeaway is this: don’t assume your iPhone suddenly “knows you.” The most valuable thing you’ve built in AI isn’t the app, it’s the memory. And for now, that memory will live somewhere else. (-Kevin)
Your AI Playbook: New Real Estate AI Flash Podcast
I had an absolute blast being a guest on Rajeev Sajja’s real estate and AI podcast, Real Estate AI Flash, which just dropped. You can hear it on Apple Podcasts – here.
Rajeev is one of real estate’s top AI leaders. As head of innovation at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, he’s in the trenches with agents and brokers who are trying to separate real AI strategy from hype. His show consistently delivers practical, thoughtful conversations at a time when the industry is drowning in AI noise.
We covered a number of topics pulled straight from my book, The REAL AI Guide for Real Estate Agents, including what agents and brokerages actually need to understand today, not five years from now. We talked about why GEO plus SEO is quickly becoming the smartest search strategy, the real risks hidden behind “free” AI tools, and how to build workflows that save time rather than create more work.
We also dug into one of my business partner’s, Victor Lund, favorite topics: MCP servers and why they matter for safer, more controlled AI adoption inside brokerages. This isn’t theoretical. It’s coming faster than most people realize, and now is the time to get on the MCP bandwagon.
A huge thanks to Rajeev for the invite and for building a podcast that consistently elevates the AI conversation in real estate. Check out his podcast site with all his episodes here. (-Kevin)
AI Facts and Stats
1. 28% of Americans surveyed said they are interested in using AI for helping them save time on tasks.
2. Nine in 10 Americans use AI on their phone – but only 38% actually realize that they do.
3. 86% of Americans reported using common AI tools daily when prompted with a list of features.
4. 34% of Americans surveyed said they discover new AI features on their phone at least once a month.
5. 42% of Americans surveyed said they were unaware of AI’s presence in their phone’s weather alerts.
Source: Talker Research (-Korey)
AI Headlines
5 Reasons ChatGPT Isn’t Going to Take Over Real Estate Search, Unless… | 1/15/26 Online Marketplaces
ChatGPT won’t be a real estate listings destination anytime soon.
Human + AI > AI Alone: The Training Playbook That’s Creating the Next Generation of Top Producers | 1/14/26 Delta Media Group
The key to being a top producer is to treat AI as your most valuable team member.
I tried Gmail’s new Gemini AI features, and now I want to unsubscribe | 1/13/26 ZDNET
Gemini in Gmail has potential but is still a miss.
5 Ways to Move from ‘Toying’ to Working with AI | 1/13/26 Korn Ferry
Easy ways you can use AI today to improve your workflow.
Your dog has something to say. The market is listening | 1/13/26 The Hustle
A $700 collar that uses AI to tell you how your dog is feeling.
AI models are starting to crack high-level math problems | 1/14/26 TechCrunch
One unexpected advantage of GPT 5.2 is the increase of its mathematics capabilities.
Why real estate’s AI success depends more on people than technology | 1/12/26 World Economic Forum
AI transformation depends on leaders developing the critical thinking needed to unlock its potential. (-Korey)
AI Quote of the Week
What’s your 2026 AI Playbook? It’s here: The REAL AI Guide.
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