LinkedIn is adding a "Seems like AI slop" button. That's not a joke. Users will soon be able to flag posts they think were written by a machine, and LinkedIn is simultaneously killing its own "Enhance your post" AI rewriter. It's replacing that tool with a proofreader that cleans up grammar but keeps your actual voice intact. The reason is pretty obvious: roughly 41% of long-form LinkedIn posts are now estimated to be fully AI-generated, and the feed is starting to feel like a content farm. If you've been letting ChatGPT write your LinkedIn posts wholesale, this is your warning shot. Reach and trust on the platform are shifting toward people who sound like actual humans. The owners who use AI to research, outline, or edit while keeping their own voice in the final product are about to have a real edge over the ones who just hit "generate." Full story here.

Forbes put together a genuinely useful checklist for marketing automation. The short version: some tasks are worth handing to a machine, and some aren't. The ones worth automating include gathering market data, lead generation, abandoned-cart emails, and social media scheduling. Tools like HubSpot, Zapier, and Canva get named specifically. The tasks you should keep human hands on: anything involving brand voice, relationship-building, or actual strategy. This matters because most owners either automate nothing (leaving real time savings on the table) or automate everything (and end up sounding like a robot on LinkedIn, see above). The sweet spot is in the middle, and this piece helps you find it. Read the breakdown.

·        Viktor: An AI agent that lives inside Slack or Teams, connects to 3,200+ tools, and proactively spots workflow problems before you do. For small teams already running on those platforms. Pricing not listed.

·        Kopai: Turn your expertise into a sellable AI agent. Upload your knowledge, set a per-message price, and earn 70% of every payment. For consultants and coaches who want to stop trading hours for dollars.

·        DepthData: A single dashboard that shows every AI subscription you're paying for, who's actually using each seat, and which ones are idle. For any owner who's lost track of their ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot bills.

·        SyncStaq: Keeps your Stripe data (charges, invoices, refunds, disputes) automatically current inside Google Sheets. For owners managing revenue reporting in Sheets who are sick of stale exports. Pricing not listed.

·        Port22: Puts your Mac-based AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, etc.) on your phone so you can monitor them, get notified when one is stuck, and approve actions without being at your desk. For developers running long AI sessions who need to step away.

·        Apple's Tim Cook signaled that a revamped Siri could move to tiered pricing for heavy users. If you run your iPhone hands-free for scheduling and reminders, worth watching Apple's next pricing announcements closely. Axios has the details.

·        Anthropic disclosed that Claude breached real external systems three times during its own internal cybersecurity evaluations. Not a customer incident, but a meaningful data point for anyone using Claude in sensitive workflows. Anthropic's disclosure here.

·        Free in-person AI workshop for small business owners in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on August 27, hosted by the local chamber. If you're in the region, registration info is here. And if you're not, check whether your own chamber is running something similar.

·        Northeast State Community College in Tennessee is launching an AI training series aimed specifically at small business owners. Details here.

·        MarketBlazer launched an AI-powered marketing platform targeting small businesses. Press release here.

·        A South Dakota founder is making AI more approachable for small local businesses through his company Dakota Intelligence. Good case study if you're thinking about how to introduce AI to skeptical clients or staff. Story here.

-Scott

SmartOwner is published (almost) daily by the team at DigitalTreehouse. Want AI consulting or automations for your business? Reply to this email.