Is AI any good at choosing gifts?

Like many people presently of 12 months, Josie Hughes wracks her mind to think about presents for family and friends.

Nonetheless, final month she determined to attempt a special method.

Being aware of synthetic intelligence (AI), notably via her work on the Institute of Analytics, she determined to see if AI may generate Christmas current concepts for her nine-year-old brother.

“I take advantage of AI on a regular basis for my job, for instance, assist writing emails as I’ve autism and ADHD and I wrestle…and I believed with Christmas arising, I’m wondering if it will probably assist me,” says Ms Hughes, who lives in Eastbourne.

She requested ChatGPT for strategies for a present for a nine-year outdated who loves the outside.

“It beneficial a slackline – like a good rope – in addition to a fishing package and survival package. He lives in a woodland space, and I used to be actually impressed, I hadn’t considered these presents.

“I discover it arduous to trawl the web; I don’t need the faff. This protects you quite a lot of time. It’s higher for strategies than simply asking Google.”

In consequence, she’ll be wrapping a slackline for him this Christmas.

This 12 months, Brits are anticipated are anticipated to spend £28.6bn on Christmas presents, up from £27.6bn final 12 months, in keeping with analysis from comparison platform Finder, with a median spend of £596 per particular person.

And now gen AI is turning into a part of the buying course of, with an growing variety of individuals utilizing it for inspiration for Christmas presents this season.

A current world survey by Accenture discovered that the overwhelming majority (95%) of shoppers agree that gen AI may assist them discover higher presents, whereas 90% worth the suggestions that gen AI instruments present.

Whereas many individuals might be turning to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini to supply concepts, there are additionally devoted AI present turbines attracting Christmas buyers needing a serving to hand this Christmas.

US-based affiliate web site GiftList options an AI-powered present record generator which, following info from the consumer about who they’re shopping for for, and their pursuits, comes up with present strategies with hyperlinks to merchandise on its web site.

The corporate launched the AI present chatbot a 12 months in the past, however have since improved it to make it extra of a conversational expertise.

“Earlier than it will provide you with 5 concepts, it wasn’t one thing you would commute with. We discovered individuals wished that,” says the agency’s chief government Jon Jaklitsch.

The corporate works with 50,000 retailers.

However what would he say to individuals who may assume it’s maybe a lazy or impersonal means of Christmas buying?

“It’s actually meant to be a useful assistant… it’s a sounding board,” he says.

GiftList has loads of competitors from different providers together with Cool Present Concepts and my MyMap.AI.

In a means, providers like these replicate how buying was, says Linda Ellett, UK head of shopper and retail at accountancy agency KPMG.

“That is the way it was with retailers. You used to enter a retailer and ask them for recommendation if you’re on the lookout for one thing, like a birthday current for a niece. On-line by no means had that side and this offers them an opportunity to do this.”

She says gen AI platforms have the potential to actually shake-up how we seek for merchandise.

“If this turns into the norm, then it brings about huge modifications in how shoppers are routed via to the websites of outlets, and poses questions for the likes of promoting and sponsored hyperlink prices through serps,” says Ms Ellett.

For some, the AI expertise has been a blended buying bag.

London-based Polly Arrowsmith says she’s an excellent current giver, however her curiosity in tech meant she was intrigued to see how profitable AI could be, and if it will trump her personal concepts.

This November she used ChatGPT to ask for strategies for a number of relations together with her sister and pop.

“My sister is 60 and has a aggravating job, so I mentioned she likes strolling, rest and Neom candles,” says the director of selling.

“It was obscure with its strategies, and got here again with generic outcomes like a tote bag and diary, and posters with inspirational quotes which my sister would assume I had misplaced the plot if I gave her that. It didn’t supply particular merchandise.”

Surprisingly, nonetheless, it was very particular when it got here to producing concepts for her accomplice, who she added to ChatGPT that he was male, 47, and likes know-how.

“I used to be impressed because it got here up with a selected pair of noise cancelling headphones which I believed he may like.”

Nonetheless, when she requested for concepts for her dad, 83, who’s interested by strolling, tradition, and studying, she says the outcomes have been too generic.

“It assumed he may like a foot therapeutic massage machine, a personalised strolling stick, or a meal supply service. It checked out his age and never his pursuits. It assumed if he’s 83 then he have to be on bodily decline. However he’s very match; he’s a member of two strolling golf equipment.”

Total, Ms Arrowsmith says she thinks AI could be a useful gizmo for somebody who didn’t know the place to start out.

“It’s an excellent place to begin, however I really feel like you have to know one thing about that particular person to start with.”

So are there any secrets and techniques to utilizing AI for buying functions?

“The extra particular you may be about what you’re on the lookout for, the extra related your product suggestions might be,” says Dmitry Shevelenko, chief enterprise officer at US-based Perplexity, an AI-powered ‘reply engine’.

“We advise including particulars reminiscent of who you’re shopping for for and what their pursuits are. For instance, moderately than simply asking for the ‘finest espresso maker,’ you may ask ‘what’s the finest espresso machine underneath £500 that additionally features a espresso grinder?’”

He says practically 10% of all searches on Perplexity on Black Friday have been associated to buying.

“We anticipate this price to carry regular as we method the vacations, on condition that that is the busiest buying interval annually.”