ATLANTA — The debate over real vs. artificial has moved from Christmas trees to holiday shopping.
Artificial Intelligence can offer help buying the right gift for the right person, if you’re willing to give it a try.
At Avalon, a shopping center in Atlanta, shoppers Diana Spencer and her friend Linda Wells rely on their own instincts.
“You start out with an idea of what you want to get then you find something you like,” Spencer said.
But for many, coming up with that idea is not so easy.
David Schweidel is a Professor of Marketing at Emory’s Goizueta Business School who said Artificial Intelligence is a game changer when it comes to gift giving. He said you should think of it as brainstorming with a friend; only this friend can instantly tap into the internet’s wealth of knowledge.
“Approach it from the mindset of a conversation,” Schweidel said. “Have you thought about this? Have you thought about this? I know this is popular with people who are like your wife.”
Based on the information you provide, programs like ChatGPT and Google Bard will use artificial intelligence to offer gift suggestions. A.I. might ask for more.
“You can say here are some details about this person in terms of their likes,” Schweidel said. “They love fragrances; they hate to cook.”
A chat with artificial intelligence allows you to bounce ideas back and forth.
“That might jar some ideas for you to say, well, we’re going in the wrong direction with these suggestions, but this is in the right direction," he said, allowing users to ask the tech to "Give me more on this.”
If you ask, A.I. programs will tell you how to find deals or coupons that will reduce the price of the items it is suggesting.
There are shoppers who can’t see themselves going in the direction of artificial intelligence.
“It seems foreign to me,” said Spencer. “And my kids are grown they tell me what they want.”
For others, a conversation with an artificial mind can put a bow on this Christmas shopping season.