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Could AI replace traditional gift inspiration?
Like many of us this time of year, Josie Hughes racks her brain to think of gifts for friends and family.
However, last month she decided to try a different approach.
Knowing about artificial intelligence (AI), particularly through her work at the Institute of Analytics, she decided to see if AI could generate Christmas gift ideas for her nine-year-old brother.
“I use AI all the time for my work, for example to help me write emails because I have autism and ADHD and I struggle… and I thought that as we approach Christmas, I wonder if it will help me,” said Mrs Hughes, who lives in Eastbourne.
She asked ChatGPT for gift suggestions for a nine-year-old who loves the outdoors.
“He recommended a slackline – like a tightrope – as well as a fishing kit and a survival kit. He lives in a wooded area and I was really impressed, I hadn't thought of these gifts.
“I'm having trouble navigating the internet; I don't want any bullshit. It saves you a lot of time. It's better to have suggestions than just asking Google.”
As a result, she will wrap a slackline for him this Christmas.
Josie Hughes
Josie Hughes found AI useful for gift selection
This year, Brits are expected to spend £28.6 billion on Christmas gifts, up from £27.6 billion last year, according to research by comparison platform Finder, with an average spend of £596 per person.
And now, the AI generation has become part of the shopping process, with a growing number of people using it as inspiration for Christmas gifts this season.
A recent global survey by Accenture found that the vast majority (95%) of consumers agree that Gen AI could help them find better gifts, while 90% value the recommendations provided by Gen AI tools.
gift list
AI gift recommendation services like GiftList are emerging
While many people will look to OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini for ideas, there are also dedicated AI gift generators that attract Christmas shoppers needing a helping hand this Christmas.
US affiliate site GiftList offers an AI-powered gift list generator that, following information provided by the shopper about who they are shopping for and their interests, provides gift suggestions with links to products on his site.
The company launched the AI gift chatbot a year ago, but has since improved it to make it more of a conversational experience.
“It used to give you five ideas, it wasn't something you could go back and forth with. We found that people wanted that,” says Jon Jaklitsch, the company’s chief executive.
The company works with 50,000 retailers.
But what would he say to those who might think this might be a lazy or impersonal way to do Christmas shopping?
“It’s really meant to be a helpful assistant…it’s a sounding board,” he says.
GiftList faces a lot of competition from other services, including Cool Gift Ideas and my MyMap.AI.
In some ways, services like these replicate the way shopping used to happen, says Linda Ellett, UK head of consumer and retail at accounting firm KPMG.
“It was like that with retailers. You used to go to a store and ask them for advice if you were looking for something, like a birthday present for a niece. Online it's never looked like that and this gives them a chance to do that.
She says generational AI platforms have the potential to truly disrupt the way we research products.
“If this becomes the norm, it will lead to big changes in the way consumers are directed to retailers' sites and raise issues such as advertising and the costs of sponsored links through search engines,” says Ms Ellett.
Polly Arrowsmith
Polly Arrowsmith found AI gift suggestion 'vague' and 'generic'
For some, the AI experience has been a mixed bag.
London-based Polly Arrowsmith says she is a good gift giver, but her interest in technology meant she was intrigued to see how successful AI would be and whether it would trump her own ideas.
Last November, she used ChatGPT to ask several family members, including her sister and father, for suggestions.
“My sister is 60 and has a stressful job, so I told her that she likes walking, relaxing and Neom candles,” says the marketing director.
“It was vague with his suggestions, and came back with generic results like a tote bag and a journal, and posters with inspirational quotes that my sister would think I'd lost the plot if I gave her that. It did not offer specific products.
Strangely, however, it was very specific when it came to generating ideas for her partner, who she told ChatGPT was a 47-year-old man and loved technology.
“I was impressed by creating a particular pair of noise-cancelling headphones that I thought he might like.”
However, when she asked for ideas for her father, 83, who is interested in walking, culture and reading, she said the results were too generic.
“We assumed he would like a foot massager, a personalized cane or a meal delivery service. This took into account his age and not his interests. It is assumed that if he is 83 years old, he must be in physical decline. But he is very fit; he is a member of two walking clubs.
Overall, Ms Arrowsmith thinks AI would be a useful tool for someone who doesn't know where to start.
“That’s a good place to start, but I feel like you need to know something about this person first.”
So, are there any secrets to using AI for shopping?
“The more specific you are about what you are looking for, the more relevant your product recommendations will be,” says Dimitry Shevelenko, sales director at US company Perplexity, an AI-powered “response engine”.
“We suggest adding details such as who you are buying for and what their interests are. For example, rather than just asking “the best coffee maker”, you could ask “what is the best espresso machine under £500 that also includes a coffee grinder?” »
He claims that almost 10% of all searches on Perplexity during Black Friday were related to shopping.
“We expect this rate to continue as we approach the holidays, given that this is the busiest shopping period of each year.”
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