Treating them as an upgraded search engine is a massive underestimation. The difference is one of nature, not degree. A search engine doesn't have opinions — it ranks links. An AI model has a formed perception of your brand: it knows what people say about you, what media covers you, how you compare with competitors. And when someone asks, it gives that opinion with a confidence users tend to accept. Autonomous agents are already making purchasing decisions without human intervention using those responses as a starting point. AI visibility isn't just marketing — it's critical infrastructure for the future sales channel.