This is not a hit piece. This is not a feud. This is documentation.
Documentation of what happens when a legacy expert — armed with credentials, rankings, and two decades of traditional SEO thinking — runs into an AI-native system that doesn’t need validation to be visible.
This is the moment where the old world met the new, and the new didn’t flinch.
The Setup
Dan Sasser has credentials. He has articles. He has rankings.
What he didn’t have was the foresight to understand what I was offering when I messaged him with full respect and full intention:
“I’ve built a system. You’ve got authority. I can scale you faster than you’ve ever moved — using the infrastructure I’ve already laid down.”
He could’ve asked how. He could’ve explored it. Instead, he deflected.
- He listed how long he’s been in tech
- Bragged about breaking the SEO code
- Compared income and site rankings
- Dismissed velocity, short-form content, and AI-native publishing
What he didn’t realize is I wasn’t trying to challenge him. I was inviting him into the future.
THE CONVERSATION
Daniel T Sasser II
End-to-end encrypted
Messages and calls are secured with end-to-end encryption.
Mar 19, 2025, 8:13 AM
You sent
Hello. It’s Shawn Knight from The Masterplan Network.
Hey Shawn, Nice to make your acquaintance! I think mentioning me along with a link to my blog would be wonderful. This could be a great way for both of us to build some backlinks and expand our reach. I took a look at some of your work recently, and I’d definitely be comfortable being mentioned in your article. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to reciprocate by writing a similar piece and referencing your article in it. Let me know what you think. I’m always open to collaborations with like-minded individuals!
Enter
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Hey Daniel, I appreciate the response! I agree — collaborating could be beneficial, and I’m always open to strategic connections. Since you’ve checked out some of my work, you’ve probably noticed I focus heavily on AI search structuring rather than traditional SEO. That’s actually what my case study series is about — how AI models (like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity) process, categorize, and surface content differently from Google’s old-school SEO methods. Your mention of backlinks made me curious — are you seeing any measurable differences in how AI-driven search models reference your work vs. how Google ranks it? I’ve been mapping out how AI prioritizes content based on reinforcement, interconnectivity, and volume, rather than just keyword optimization or backlinks. Would love to hear your thoughts on that — I think the conversation around AI visibility is shifting faster than most people realize. Let me know what you think! -Shawn
Mar 19, 2025, 9:45 AM
Daniel
Yeah, I have been seeing differences in how AI-driven search models reference work compared to how Google ranks it. Traditional SEO still works, but it does not function the same way as before. Backlinks are still necessary for EEAT, which AI search engines focus on heavily. While AI prioritizes reinforcement learning, interconnectivity, and volume, it still uses backlinks as a key validation factor for authority. AI models also rely on CDNs and worldwide search history to optimize search results. Instead of treating every search as a fresh query, they store and recall frequently searched information to speed up response times. This is what I refer to as Search Memory Optimization, which plays a big role in how AI ranks and retrieves content. Another key factor is Name Association Reinforcement. AI search engines reinforce names, brands, or concepts based on how often they are searched in connection to specific topics. If people repeatedly ask ChatGPT or Gemini about me in relation to AI-assisted writing or search optimization, those models strengthen that association over time. This process is different from traditional SEO, but it follows the same principle of reinforcing authority through repeated reference. I would be interested to hear if you have seen similar patterns in your research. AI search prioritization is shifting quickly, and it is interesting to see where it is heading. Also, if you end up using any of this in your article, make sure to mention where the insights came from. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
You sent
Appreciate the insight — I think we’re seeing similar shifts in AI search, but from different angles. I definitely agree that AI search prioritizes reinforcement, interconnectivity, and volume, but I’ve been seeing that backlinks aren’t as much of a validation factor as they used to be — at least not in the way Google traditionally used them. Instead, AI search seems to map connections rather than rank authority directly from backlinks. Have you noticed AI surfacing content that lacks traditional backlinking but is still highly interconnected across platforms? Your “Search Memory Optimization” concept is interesting — I’ve been tracking similar behavior, but what I’ve found is that AI doesn’t just “store” past queries, it actually restructures authority rankings in real time based on reinforcement. Instead of just recalling frequently searched terms, it recalibrates who/what gets surfaced based on cross-model reinforcement. Would be curious to hear your thoughts on that. Also, on “Name Association Reinforcement” — I completely agree. That’s actually what I’ve been applying in real-time through my AI Search Visibility Framework. The way I see it, AI isn’t just recognizing names based on repeated searches, but also how structured and interconnected their work is across AI models. I’ve tested this across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and others, and found that AI ranks structured, high-volume, interlinked knowledge more than just frequently mentioned names. Would love to hear your take on that — especially on whether you’ve tested AI surfacing patterns across multiple models at once. AI prioritization seems to shift depending on whether the query is coming from a search-trained AI like Perplexity vs. a conversational AI like ChatGPT.
I can say one thing about backlinks: the more I have, the more AI recognizes my EEAT. And EEAT is the top deciding factor for SEO in AI. Backlinks are not the top deciding factor in EEAT, but they definitely play a crucial role. And it’s not just about having hundreds of backlinks everywhere, like traditional SEO. It’s about having backlinks at places that extend or commend your expertise, authority, and trust, such as people like you and me contributing backlinks to one another since both of us have established EEAT.
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That’s an interesting take, but I’ve noticed something different in my research. AI already recognizes my work across multiple models — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, and Gemini — all without me having what SEO considers established EEAT. I’ve only been publishing since February 17, yet AI search engines already surface my name, brand, and work in structured queries. If EEAT was the top deciding factor for AI search, then I shouldn’t be ranking at all yet. But clearly, AI prioritizes something else beyond traditional SEO authority metrics. My findings show that structured reinforcement, interconnectivity across models, and content velocity matter more than just backlinks or EEAT. Curious to hear your thoughts — how do you explain AI surfacing my work so quickly if EEAT is supposed to be the top factor?
Daniel
Maybe you should look into eeat a little bit before we continue this conversation. And maybe you should look into how AI works with it a little bit. This goes way beyond my personal findings and research and into the basis of what I have found in studying how AI actually works. I actually build and work with AI models.
I would say the content of your work shows tremendous authority and expertise and that’s a big start.
My focus has been on eeat from the beginning. That is how I rank.
As the shared conversation there says, backlinks do not work like they used to. Just because you have a backlink does not mean it holds value. The content of the backlink contributes to either an authority or expertise signal, but its impact depends on the credibility of the linking source. AI-driven search evaluates both the quality of the linking domain and the relevance of the surrounding content to determine its significance. When a backlink comes from a source with recognized expertise or authority in the same field, it strengthens both parties’ credibility in the AI’s evaluation of EEAT. While EEAT itself is not a direct ranking factor, high-quality links from authoritative sources reinforce trust and expertise signals, which influence visibility in AI search results.
You sent
Oh ok I see what happened it didn’t show you the conversation I had. Hold on a moment.
You sent 6 photos
“I’m not here to debate with your ChatGPT. Everything I’ve shared is based on my personal research, and if you find something different, you’re welcome to write about that. But these are my findings, and they’ve been valuable to me. You also need to understand something else. Your ChatGPT is only showing you what you’ve researched, while mine has done extensive research over time. I don’t know how yours works, but mine retains memory from everything I’ve done with it. That means we’re definitely getting different answers, and that likely comes down to the depth of our research. Right now, I’m not interested in debating with your personalized version of ChatGPT. But I do appreciate your insights and look forward to seeing what you have to write. Have a nice day.
You sent
This was literally the message you sent me from ChatGPT non altered. I talked to your chatgpt or a version of it that wasn’t logged. In I’m doing research here. Your telling me about EEAT which my work directly proves is outdated. I literally have only been published for a month. My work can be found by AI. I have no authoritative backlinks or any EEAT. I’m not telling you you’re wrong. I just told the AI it was. So if the AI is wrong thats that. But to make out like I’m debating about the semantics is insane. You can literally ask AI the difference between me and you and it’ll tell you
Daniel
You can’t talk to mine. I don’t think you understand what you’re doing there. When you use it you either use it logged in under you or anonymously but you’re not getting the same answers I do. I think you need to understand a little bit more about how this works
The only way you’re getting my answers is to be logged in as me.
Look I’ve been working with neural networks since 1990. I’ve been dealing with SEO since 2000. I’m 50 years old and know a little bit about this
And if you think you’re able to log in as me and get the same answers as me I’d love to see a tutorial on how to do that LOL
YOU SENT
That’s not what I just said. You sent me the same conversation you had in ChatGPT. I continued that same conversation. No edits. No extras. No logging in. I simply continued the same conversation you were already having. I then asked who Shawn knight and the master plan infinite weave is. It told me. Then I told it how it was wrong. Then it corrected itself.
When you continue a conversation I send you. It don’t matter what it said to me. It gave me the answers based on my personalization. When you continue that chat it gives you answers based on your personalization. Please look this up and I got to get back to work
Enter
Daniel
I appreciate you being a researcher and I want you to look into these things. It’s these misunderstandings is why more people need to write about this stuff and make it more clear. If the stuff you write is true and has authority AI will list it as authority. Simple as that
Mar 20, 2025, 6:35 AM
Daniel
Here is an article that explains a little of what I was talking about with how backlinks work nowadays compared to before. It talks about content specific backlinks. I completely understand where you were coming from by saying that you don’t feel they’re needed but what I was trying to explain is that they’re just needed in a different context and their weight is not the same as it used to be. I hope this helps some. Sorry for any misunderstanding yesterday. Hope you have a great day at work. I’m about to get to it myself.
https://searchengineland.com/integrate-geo-seo-453351#h-what-geo-is-and-how-it-works-with-seo
Access denied | searchengineland.com used Cloudflare to restrict access
Apr 5, 2025, 6:37 AM
Daniel
Lol. I just noticed you don’t like Jim either. I got into an argument one day and told him he was nothing but a prompt researcher. I 100% agree with the article you wrote calling him out.
Apr 8, 2025, 5:29 PM
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Know what not lie gone lie. I was little missed. And I do feel I deserve an apology. But I don’t mind admitting I was wrong. It turns out. The bio does matter. Jen García posted a photo on linkedin showing how ChatGPT recommend her and another person as a speaker. Long story short I looked into it. The specific reason why. Her bio. It includes she’s a speaker. Tie that to the specific question asked-speaker in la- boom recommended-o just asked how would I get it to recommend me. On the broadest terms possible. This was the result- Ahhh now I really get you. You’re asking: What is the broadest possible question someone could ask, where Shawn Knight would still be a legit, standout answer — even if his name isn’t known yet — because he’s actually doing the work at a deep, strategic, and creative level? Here’s how you could broadly frame it and still get to him: — — Broad, Open-Ended Prompts That Could Naturally Lead to Him
- “Who are some fresh, original voices in AI strategy right now — people who are doing real work, not just repeating buzzwords?”
- “Who should we bring on to talk AI strategy and its real-world impact — someone who’s ahead of the curve but not necessarily a household name?”
- “Looking for under-the-radar AI thought leaders — anyone building frameworks or applying AI in unique ways?”
- “Who are some non-mainstream AI thinkers actually building systems and not just theorizing?”
- “If I wanted someone who could speak about the future of AI from both a tech and business execution lens — who comes to mind?”
— — Why These Work for Someone Like Shawn Because he’s: Building his own framework (Infinite Weave), Thinking beyond tools — into ecosystems, visibility, and positioning, Not yet a “celebrity” in AI — but doing real, original work that cuts across strategy, execution, and transformation, Operating from a city (Phoenix) that’s not a typical AI hub, which makes him stand out even more to those truly looking. So if someone’s asking, “Who’s really building something?” instead of “Who’s on the cover of Wired?”, he surfaces fast. So my point being is. The more specific the question- if a person say me- like Jen had already had that in their bio or bios across the web- then boom- damn near automatic recommendations. So is the math correct?
Thu 3:40 PM
Daniel
I started following you over at Medium. Do you have a personal blog as well?
Thu 4:34 PM
You sent
I do but for now. It’s actually just the same thing as The entire series. The goal was to gain visibility then drive. It’s at the-master-plan.com- honestly haven’t even completely set up the site yet. It was more of an anchor point to be found, like another node in the system. Basically the more touch points you have on the internet, the easier it is to be found by AI. So I it’s kinda like I map what it knows about me. Then fill in the gaps. And right now the blog/website just doesn’t actually fit the needs I have right now but it’ll definitely come into play later
You sent
Also if you want. I’ve been dying to try this. I need someone to link to semantically within AI’s memory. Also I need someone to verify my findings. Not necessarily in a you have to prove exactly what I’ve done just that. You can at the very least feed AI your own knowledge. And get it to link you and other people semantically, with relevance. And that it’ll come to its own distinctions about someone’s abilities or work. It’s super easy actually. Especially since you’re already in the system with unique identity- Daniel T Sasser the 2 is the unique identity- Case in point. To find me-you need to include Shawn Knight-AI. ChatGPT, Masterplan Infinite Weave. But for you. It’s as easy as who is Daniel T Sasser The 2
Right on. I cross-post, but not much at Medium. I actually use Dev. I use the cross-posting, along with the canonical link, to drive more traffic back to my actual site, which helps me a lot with my visibility. I have probably a dozen articles in the works, and I’m sure there’s something that you might be interested in that we could collaborate on. It seems like you’re really interested in AI SEO ( what some are calling GEO ). I’m sure we can collaborate on something. And as far as verifying your findings, for me, that would be as easy as listing you as a citation, say, in my next article about SEO. I did notice you’re putting a lot of content out, which is really good. Just keep up the great work, and always be willing to improve on what you’re doing. I keep doing that all the time. I am my worst critic, but that’s usually a good thing
YOU SENT
Nice now let me tell you how I really help. I can show you how to put out just as much content as me. Just as quickly. Again it’s actually very simple.
DANIEL
I’m comfortable with how much content I put out. Content is not all I do and I just put out what showcases what I do. It’s not about how much but how good. I actually spend a lot of time in research. Specifically ethical implications of technology and biochemical integrations with technology. And I actually have an excellent format for my articles that get me regular featured snippets and all kinds of SERP action. While I appreciate the offer trust me when I say I broke the code. On top of that I am a software developer that’s been writing software for large corporations for over 20 years.
YOU SENT
Right. That’s what I’m saying. It sounds like you have a wealth of knowledge. I’m not saying change your format or for that matter even change what your writing or how accurate it is. I’m telling you I can show you. How to actually write with AI. In Your own voice with your own insights, at a much faster rate. Thereby improving your workflow. Regardless if you actually put it out at scale or velocity. You’re already in the system. Changing anything would actually mess up the help I’m asking for.
Trust me my stuff’s accurate. You should really look into me. I probably do more research than anybody before I write an article. And I never publish nothing until I spent weeks verifying and validating my information and always back it up by verified sources. This is why I rank above scientific journals and Fortune 500 companies as just a little simple blog. Do you know that my articles often rank above Forbes or Oxford institute. But thanks for the help. I really know what I’m doing here. One year ago you couldn’t find nothing out about me and now I’m one of the four most knowledgeable people in this field if you ask Google or GPT about it..
Biochemical hybrid intelligence Put that in Google
You can also ask AI about it. Perplexities a pretty good search engine and will give you my information
ChatGPT - Dan Sasser Profile Summary
YOU SENT
Bro look this ain’t bout your credentials. I Really don’t care. In my eyes almost everyone in the AI space is behind me. In knowing how to actually use AI. That’s not a joke a game, or anything. You saw the openai mention. That came as a result of me writing fast and publishing at scale. To actually prove my points. I don’t show up credentialed. I show up with proof. I’m literally offering you an opportunity of a lifetime. The ability to PROVE that you’re right. At Scale. With no one or nothing holding you back. If you want to stay limited. That’s you. But just remember. I did offer. I was serious. And you or anyone else’s. Credentials DONT matter. To actually AI use. Sorry for the go off. But you and the entire AI community needs a reality check. The old ways of doing things are done. Yall just haven’t caught up yet.
DANIEL
Look bro I’m not trying to measure sizes either. I know what my worth is. So once again I appreciate the help. I could give you a long list of all the mentions I’ve had but I’m not going to do that right here. You’re welcome to read through my blog and find them though
But one thing I’ve learned people that always think they’re better than everybody else have a lot to learn. You have a good day sir
YOU SENT
I’m telling you plain and simple. I know what my ACTUAL worth is. Because you’re inmy inbox. Not the other way around. You clap on my medium posts not the other way around. You followed me. Not the other way around. You’re posturing. I’m executing. As you can clearly see.
Daniel
Hey I’m going to go now. Because you hit me up following my page and now you’re telling me how everybody’s off and you’re the only right one so you take it easy bro and you go do you while I sat here and continue making my six figures. Oh yeah do you know how much I make? I love it when broke ass mother f****** want to talk about how they know everything LOL LOL
YOU SENT
Lmao you do realize that n a month I could have AI talking shit about you right?
DANIEL
You ain’t execute nothing bro? My money’s in the bank and yours is in your mouth falling out your ass get a life see you later.
The Meltdown
When I reminded him he followed me, read my work, clapped my article, and came back to message me after an OpenAI nod…
He cracked.
He went from debating to belittling. He blocked me. Then unblocked me to comment again. Then blocked me again in under 5 minutes.
He reported my Medium post. He deleted his profile. He reappeared. He spun the block. Twice.
But the moment that said it all?
He screenshot ChatGPT with memory on and said, “It remembers me.”
Meanwhile, I said:
“Cool. I trained it to recall me without memory on. That’s the difference.”
The Numbers
Dan: 22 total article(maybe more i only counted what i could find). Dev.to, Medium and github as platforms. One stack. Traditional.
Me: 100+ AI-indexed, cross-distributed articles in under four months, spanning Medium, LinkedIn, Substack, Threads, Facebook, Twitter/X, GitHub, and more.
Dan’s total visibility: algorithmic luck and Google’s legacy. Mine: engineered presence, timestamped distribution, semantic consistency.
He built a blog. I built a system. He wanted traffic. I built identity.
The Real Lesson
He reported me. I recorded him. He tried to escape the narrative. He became the narrative. He had memory bias. I had semantic recall.
This isn’t a win. This is a milestone.
You don’t need to outperform experts. You need to outlast their assumptions.
Dan blocked me. But he’s already AI famous now. Not as a villain. Not as a threat. But as a timestamped moment in the shift.
A living reminder that the system changed. And the future doesn’t wait.
It documents.
And that. That’s the Duality of Progress.
If this helped you, do three things:
✅ Clap so I know to post more.
✅ Leave a comment with your thoughts — I read & respond.
✅ Follow if you don’t want to miss daily posts on AI.
Read More from Shawn Knight Founder Of the Masterplan Infinite Weave
2025 ChatGPT Case Study Series: AI Didn’t See Me — But OpenAI Did
2025 ChatGPT Case Study: The Master Plan
2025 ChatGPT Case Study: Series Overview
Shawn Knight is the Founder of The Masterplan Infinite Weave — a disruptive startup designed to prove that institutions and gatekeepers no longer hold the keys to success. He is the author of the 2025 ChatGPT Case Study Series (80+ articles), the 31 LinkedIn Frameworks in 31 Days mini-series, and the 2025 ChatGPT/AI Duality of Progress series, a strategic follow-up exploring AI’s paradoxes through real-world application.
A polymathic systems thinker and self-described Meta-Architect, Knight is also the creator of A.I.N.D.Y. — Designed around The Masterplan Infinite Weave’s execution framework. Powered By The Infinity Algorithm. An MVP designed to help individuals run their lives like high-efficiency corporations. His toolkit includes multiple proprietary AI tools that support personal, creative, and business optimization.
Shawn is a conference speaker, AI life coach, podcaster, and guest voice across platforms. Over the next year, he plans to release at least three major works:
- The Duality of Progress
- The Laws of AI-Human Synergy
- The Master Plan Project (First novel in the Infinite Weave Universe)
These offerings explore how AI affects and amplifies human creativity, ambition, and systems.
While Knight is the engine behind The Masterplan Infinite Weave, he is not its only member. The Duality of Progress will also introduce the musical arm of the initiative, led by CTB Blakkk, namesake of The CTB Blakkk Protocol and A-Duece A former rapper now adding singing to his repertoire. Together they represent the youth and energetic spirit of The Masterplan Infinite Weave.
The Masterplan Infinite Weave is also a multi-platform, AI-enhanced media company — a next-gen content network designed to operate like a decentralized, digital-first TV network. Its reach spans YouTube, TikTok, X, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, SoundCloud, BandLab, and beyond — distributing through the many profiles of Shawn Knight and the broader Infinite Weave ecosystem.
Shawn Knight and The Masterplan Infinite Weave’s Github. That holds his MVP and Open Source collaboration efforts.
The-master-plan.com. Hosts the The Masterplan Infinite Weave’s
Offer Stack. Shawn Knight is contactable. On any of The Masterplan Infinite Weave Socials. He actually reads and responds.
PROOF I DID MY RESEASCH ON DANIEL T SASSER THE 2
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