Stumped for Gifts? How AI Can Help

Giving just the right things to friends and relatives shows you considered their individual needs and personality, then carefully selected goods or experiences just for them. It’s not always easy, though. Even when you know the person well, you may get stumped for ideas, especially ones that fit your budget. Now, many consumers are solving the dilemma with emerging technology. According to a November 2023 HostingAdvice survey, 31% of Americans will use generative artificial intelligence to find holiday gifts this year. Learn more about how to do it and find out if it can streamline your holiday shopping experience.Artificial intelligence models the human mind, learning and improving on the process. Chances are you’re already using it. When you type a message into your phone, the words you aremost likely to write will almost magically appear.AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard can give you suggestions about products and services that you might think of on your own before they even occur to you. Open the program, type who you want to buy for, include your financial parameters and in seconds you will receive suggestions. Here are two examples, typed into ChatGPT:“I have $50 to spend on a gift for a 14-year-old boy who lives in Chicago and likes basketball. Can you offer some ideas?” The top three responses are:Basketball gear: A high-quality basketball with the logo of his favorite NBA team. A stylish basketball jersey or T-shirt featuring his favorite team or player. Basketball shorts or socks with cool designs.NBA 2K video game: Consider gifting the latest NBA 2K video game. It’s a popular basketball simulation game that he might enjoy playing on his gaming console.Basketball hoop for the door: A mini basketball hoop that can be attached to his bedroom door. It’s a fun way to practice shooting indoors.“What would be good gifts for my wife for about $250? Her interests are archaeology, ancient Greece and fine wine.” The top three responses are:Archaeological jewelry: A piece of jewelry inspired by ancient Greek designs, such as a pendant featuring a Greek key pattern or a piece resembling ancient artifacts.Fine wine tasting experience: Purchase a wine tasting experience at a local vineyard or winery. Some places offer guided tours, tastings and a chance to learn more about the winemaking process.Ancient Greek art reproduction: Find a high-quality reproduction of an ancient Greek sculpture or artwork. This could be a beautiful addition to her home decor.Instead of trying to recall what these people may have told you they wanted, AI does the work. If the first suggestions aren’t on point, you can keep adding more specifics until you have a curated list you’re happy withRetailers are also using AI, says Gopi Polavarapu, chief solutions officer at Kore.ai, headquartered in Orlando, Florida. When you visit a store’s website, a chat box may appear. When you type in questions, you are interacting with computer programs that simulate human conversations.“They’re like shopping assistants,” Polavarapu says. “Maybe your dad is a biker, so you go to a motorcycle company’s website. The chatbot asks how they can help. It’s like tapping someone’s shoulder at a retail store.”The bot may ask how much you want to spend, then identifies various products that match. It knows everything about the products in the retailer’s catalog, from the price to consumer ratings. These intelligent virtual assistants (IVAs) are streamlining customer interactions.“Beyond helping consumers solve service issues, IVAs have morphed from dull-witted assistants to savvy personal shopping aids, guiding users through product choices and streamlining the entire shopping experience,” says Polavarapu. “These AI-backed chatbots can answer any question a consumer has – down to very specific details and crafting a curated gift list based on personal preferences.”In fact, says Alex Beckman, founder and CEO of ON, an AI-based chat platform headquartered in San Francisco, AI is perfecting the fine art of the personalized shopping experience typically offered by luxury retailers. “The smartest brands are using it,” he says. “AI understands the inventory and gets to know the consumer. You tell the chatbot all the factors, and the response can replicate a really good salesperson.”Armani Exchange, for examplefeatures a real-time, personalized shopping journey guide for its customers, Beckman says. If you’re shopping for a specific handbag that you think your wife may love, just locate the chat or virtual assistant on the website and type in your question, such as ”Do you have the logo charm tote bag in black?” In a moment you’ll receive a link to the item. It will also give you information about similar options, in various sizes and colors, just as an intuitive salesperson would.Pinpointing the lowest price on items that you have selected as gifts is also important, as is scouring the internet for the best promo codes and other forms of instant discounts.AI is empowered with that information, and consumers are already onboard. Talkdesk’s Consumer AI Holiday Shopping Survey found that 73% of shoppers will use a chatbot to find coupons, discount codes and cheaper prices.“ChatGPT is a large language model, so everything may not be correct or up to date,” Beckman says. It can also be vague. So, if you’re looking for a promo code you can apply to a pair of Bose QuietComfort headphones, you may get connected to a promo code through a retailer’s AI chatbot. ChatGPT, however, will provide you with strategies on how to locate such discount codes.Or maybe your 16-year-old niece is really into Taylor Swift, and you have up to $30 to spend. You have no idea what to get but you want it to be special. With ChatGPT you may get generic suggestions such as tour merchandise and posters. Specific items that have just come to market may not show up, nor will one-of-a-kind things that individual creators are offering on sites like Etsy, or that are available second hand.Because AI and chatbots mimic real-life interactions, you may be tempted to communicate with them as if they are human, with words like please and thanks.“People don’t know how to interact with the bots yet,” Polavarapu says, explaining that it’s not always necessary to input what you’re looking for in the form of a question.As an example, the prompt, “gift for 67-year-old father-in-law who likes fishing in Canada under $50” on Google Bard produced the top suggestion as “Lure kit: This is a great option for someone who enjoys trying different types of lures. Lures can be specific to the type of fish your father-in-law likes to catch or a general assortment for various fish species. Look for kits around $20 to $30.”The information comes from data scraped from the internet, though, so the more specific you are, the more refined the responses will be.AI can also help your plan for regular gifting events, so you never disappoint someone with a forgotten birthday or anniversary.“You can set up gift lists with Amazon with peoples’ dates of births and AI will automatically suggest gifts,” Polavarapu. says “That technology can help you build a relationship with family members. If I bought my nephew an Xbox last year, it will keep that history and will let you know there is a new model available.”AI, when used correctly, can alleviate gift-giving stress that many people feel. The Talkdesk survey found that consumers are willing to hand over the shopping reins to these technology tools. If given the option, 40% of consumers overall would let a chatbot choose their friends’ and family members’ gifts for them.In the end, taking advantage of AI to find great gifts for your loved ones, especially when time is pressing, can make a lot of sense. At the very least it can kick you out of the, “I have no idea what to give this person” rut, putting you on track with excellent suggestions. At the very least, it can provide you with a starting point. Then, when they delightedly ask how you knew what they wanted, you can take the credit.

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