Before You Let AI Choose Your Gifts, Read This

A New Tool in the Holiday Shopping Toolbox

As holiday shoppers scramble for inspiration, artificial intelligence is stepping in with a promise: faster, more personalized gift ideas. From chatbots to retail-driven AI assistants, the tech is becoming a go-to starting point for overwhelmed consumers. But according to experts, it’s not quite ready to take over your shopping list entirely.

Professor Doug Bowman of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School recently tested AI-powered shopping tools, including ChatGPT, to see whether they could deliver meaningful results. His takeaway? These systems excel at analyzing data — not people. The more detail a shopper provides, he said, the better the recommendations. Without personal context, AI can only guess.

Retailers Are Racing Into the AI Era

Consumer demand is rapidly expanding: a recent Kearney survey found that 60% of Americans expect to use AI shopping assistants within the next year. Retail giants are already responding. Walmart recently announced a partnership with OpenAI, and Target is launching a beta version of its new ChatGPT-integrated shopping experience.

Bowman calls this innovation exciting but urges caution. AI tools are still evolving, and their accuracy can vary widely.

AI as a Sidekick — Not a Decision-Maker

Despite the hype, Bowman says shoppers shouldn’t hand over the final decision to AI—at least not this year. “All the T’s aren’t crossed… all the I’s aren’t dotted,” he noted, emphasizing that consumers need to remain in control.

For now, he recommends treating AI as a creative brainstorming partner rather than a substitute for human judgment. “I’m still going to be in control,” Bowman said. “And I’m still going to make the purchase.”