Like many of us, it's that time of year when Josie Hughes is racking her brain to think of gifts for friends and family.

However, last month she decided to try a different approach.

Being familiar with artificial intelligence (AI), particularly through her work at the Institute for Analytics, she decided to see if AI could generate Christmas gift ideas for her nine-year-old brother.

"I've been using AI at work, for example, to help me write emails because I have autism and ADHD and I struggle... I guess as we get closer to Christmas I'm wondering if it can help me ," Ms. Hughes said. In Eastbourne.

She asked ChatGPT how to prepare a gift for her 9-year-old who loves the outdoors.

"It recommended a loose rope - like a tight rope - and a fishing kit and a survival kit. He lives in woodland and I was really impressed, I wasn't expecting those gifts.

"I find it difficult to search on the internet; I don't want all this crap. It saves you a lot of time. It's better to get advice than just asking Google."

So this Christmas she will tie a slackline around him.

Britons are expected to spend £28.6 billion on Christmas gifts this year, up from £27.6 billion last year, according to research Comparison platform Finderthe average consumption per person is 596 pounds.

Artificial intelligence is now becoming part of the shopping process, with more and more people using it to get inspiration for Christmas gifts this season.

recent global Accenture Survey The study found that the vast majority (95%) of consumers believe gen AI can help them find better gifts, and 90% value the recommendations provided by gen AI tools.

While many will look to OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini for ideas, there are also dedicated AI gift generators to attract Christmas shoppers who need help this Christmas.

GiftList, a US-based affiliate site, features an AI-driven gift list generator that makes gift suggestions based on information shoppers provide about who they want to buy and their interests, along with links to products on its site.

The company launched an AI gift chatbot a year ago but has since revamped it to make it more of a conversational experience.

"You can't go back and forth on it until it gives you five ideas. We found that people want that," said Jon Jaklitsch, the company's chief executive.

The company works with 50,000 retailers.

But what would he say to those who might think this might be a lazy or impersonal way to do their Christmas shopping?

"It's really a useful assistant...it's a sounding board," he said.

GiftList competes heavily with other services, including Cool Gift Ideas and myMap.AI.

To some extent, such services replicate the way shopping was done in the past, said Linda Ellett, head of UK consumer and retail practice at KPMG.

"That's how retailers used to be. If you were looking for something, say a birthday gift for your niece, you used to go into a store and ask them for advice. That's never been the case online and this gives them an opportunity to do it at this point."

She said a new generation of artificial intelligence platforms has the potential to truly change the way we search for products.

"If this becomes the norm then it will bring huge changes to the way consumers access retailers' websites and raise issues such as the cost of advertising and sponsored links through search engines," Ms Ellett said.

For some, the AI ​​experience is a mixed bag.

Polly Arrowsmith, of London, said she was a good gift-giver but her interest in technology meant she was curious to see how successful artificial intelligence would be and whether it would surpass her own idea.

In November, she used ChatGPT to seek advice from several family members, including her sister and father.

"My sister is 60 and has a stressful job, so I said she loves walking, relaxing and Neom candles," says the marketing director.

"It made vague suggestions but returned very general results, such as handbags and diaries, and posters with inspirational quotes, and if I gave her these, my sister would think I'd lost the plot. It didn't offer specifics. product."

Yet oddly enough, she was very specific when it came to coming up with ideas for her partner, who she added on ChatGPT is male, 47, and into technology.

"I was impressed because it came out with a special noise-canceling headphone that I thought he might like."

However, when she asked her 83-year-old father for advice, she said the results were too general. Her father was interested in walking, culture and reading.

"Suppose he might like a foot massage machine, a personalized cane, or a meal delivery service. It looks at his age rather than his interests. Presumably, if he is 83, his physical strength must be declining. But he Very fit; he is a member of two walking clubs."

Overall, Ms Arrowsmith said she believed AI would be a useful tool for people who don't know where to start.

"That's a good starting point, but I think you need to know something about the person first."

So are there any secrets to using AI for shopping?

“The more specific you are looking for, the more relevant your product recommendations will be,” says Dmitry Shevelenko, chief commercial officer at US-based Perplexity, an AI-powered “answer engine.”

“We recommend adding details such as who you’re buying for and what their interests are. For example, instead of just asking ‘best coffee machine’ you could ask ‘best coffee grinder under £500’ What is an espresso machine? "

He said that nearly 10% of all searches on Perplexity on Black Friday were related to shopping.

"Given this is the busiest shopping period of the year, we expect this rate to remain stable as the holidays approach."