Is AI any good at choosing gifts?

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

Nevertheless, final month she determined to strive a special strategy.

Being acquainted with synthetic intelligence (AI), notably by way of 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 developing, I’m wondering if it could assist me,” says Ms Hughes, who lives in Eastbourne.

She requested ChatGPT for solutions for a present for a nine-year previous 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 numerous time. It’s higher for solutions than simply asking Google.”

Consequently, 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 response to analysis from comparison platform Finder, with a mean spend of £596 per particular person.

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

A current international 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 shall be turning to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini to supply concepts, there are additionally devoted AI reward turbines attracting Christmas consumers needing a serving to hand this Christmas.

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

The corporate launched the AI reward 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 trip with. We discovered individuals needed that,” says the agency’s chief government Jon Jaklitsch.

The corporate works with 50,000 retailers.

However what would he say to individuals who would possibly assume it’s maybe a lazy or impersonal manner of Christmas purchasing?

“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 Reward Concepts and my MyMap.AI.

In a manner, providers like these replicate how purchasing was once, says Linda Ellett, UK head of client and retail at accountancy agency KPMG.

“That is the way it was once with retailers. You used to enter a retailer and ask them for recommendation if you’re searching for one thing, like a birthday current for a niece. On-line by no means had that side and this provides 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 large modifications in how shoppers are routed by way of to the websites of outlets, and poses questions for the likes of promoting and sponsored hyperlink prices by way of search engines like google,” says Ms Ellett.

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

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

This November she used ChatGPT to ask for solutions for a number of members of the family together with her sister and pa.

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

“It was imprecise with its solutions, 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.”

Unusually, nevertheless, 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 expertise.

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

Nevertheless, when she requested for concepts for her dad, 83, who’s keen on strolling, tradition, and studying, she says the outcomes had been too generic.

“It assumed he would possibly 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 should be on bodily decline. However he’s very match; he’s a member of two strolling golf equipment.”

General, Ms Arrowsmith says she thinks AI can be a great tool for somebody who didn’t know the place to begin.

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

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

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

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

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

“We count on this charge to carry regular as we strategy the vacations, on condition that that is the busiest purchasing interval every year.”