Is AI any good at selecting presents?

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

Nonetheless, final month she determined to attempt a distinct strategy.

Being acquainted with 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 exploit AI on a regular basis for my job, for instance, assist writing emails as I’ve autism and ADHD and I battle…and I believed with Christmas developing, I’m wondering if it could possibly 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 really useful a slackline – like a good rope – in addition to a fishing equipment and survival equipment. 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 a number of time. It’s higher for solutions 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, based on analysis from comparability platform Finder, with a median spend of £596 per particular person.

And now gen AI is turning into a part of the procuring course of, with an growing variety of folks 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 can be turning to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini to supply concepts, there are additionally devoted AI present mills attracting Christmas consumers needing a serving to hand this Christmas.

US-based affiliate web site GiftList options an AI-powered present checklist generator which, following data from the patron about who they’re shopping for for, and their pursuits, comes up with present solutions 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 offer you 5 concepts, it wasn’t one thing you possibly can shuttle with. We discovered folks 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 suppose it’s maybe a lazy or impersonal method of Christmas procuring?

“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 method, providers like these replicate how procuring was, says Linda Ellett, UK head of client 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 in case you are searching for one thing, like a birthday current for a niece. On-line by no means had that facet 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 huge modifications in how shoppers are routed via to the websites of shops, and poses questions for the likes of promoting and sponsored hyperlink prices through engines like google,” says Ms Ellett.

For some, the AI expertise has been a combined procuring 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 could be, and if it will trump her personal concepts.

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

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

“It was obscure 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 suppose I had misplaced the plot if I gave her that. It didn’t supply particular merchandise.”

Unusually, 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 had 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.”

General, Ms Arrowsmith says she thinks AI could 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 it is advisable to know one thing about that particular person to start with.”

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

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

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

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

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