Santa’s helper or burden? My thoughts on using AI to help with Christmas shopping

As Christmas Day inches closer, the pressure to purchase the perfect gift for loved ones grows.

Purchasing gifts for reasonable, budget-friendly prices can take a lot of time and research, ruining the spirit of giving. 

Thankfully, ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence (AI) tools are ready to help you navigate and simplify the craziness of holiday shopping.

A recent Shopify survey of 18,000 consumers and 7,500 business leaders found 64 per cent of respondents will use AI for at least one shopping task this holiday season.

When just looking at just generation Z, from ages 18 to 24, that share jumps to a whopping 84 per cent.

Shoppers are using AI to find deals and compare prices, as well as getting alerts to new product drops, coupons, other promotions, and personalized gift options. 

Although I am not part of gen Z, I think using the technology to help with the tedious tasks of searching for and purchasing gifts can be both helpful and a hindrance. 

AI is still in its early stages and should not be taken as a 100-per-cent reliable source. 

When prompting AI for situations of all sorts, you have to be very specific in what you ask. You can’t just ask ChatGPT to find you deals on shoes without providing specific details, such as whether the shoes are men’s, women’s, unisex, or children’s. You also have to be specific on the type of occasion you would want those shoes for, such as a formal event or for sports. 

I think using ChatGPT or other artificial intelligence services to aid with Christmas shopping can be helpful, if you properly prompt the AI with what you are specifically looking for. 

But I also believe using AI for Christmas shopping can be a hindrance and make shopping more difficult. 

If you were to ask ChatGPT to provide you with gift ideas for your grandmother, you would be given a long list of general items ranging from basic cozy items like blankets to more personalized and time-consuming gifts, such as a scrapbook. 

While this list would be a great starting point, I feel I would be overwhelmed from thinking about coming across as lazy and unimaginative if I didn’t create my grandmother a personalized gift and instead gave her a simple gift, such as a book.

We also have to be aware that the results and information ChatGPT and other AI tools collect are from all across the internet. Even with the results AI gives us, we should double check the resources to make sure the deals and products are still available.

There are also a lot of scam websites that ChatGPT and other AI may suggest to consumers.

Overall, using AI as a tool to help with Christmas shopping can be helpful but should not be relied on entirely.