"As AI technology makes its way into our everyday lives, people have already started relying on it more and more. This includes things like Siri or Alexa, customer service, healthcare systems, and now, shopping for the holidays." --Ruby Deetz, 7th grade
As AI technology makes its way into our everyday lives, people have already started relying on it more and more. This includes things like Siri or Alexa, customer service, healthcare systems, and now, shopping for the holidays. Many people this year are using ChatGPT and other AI platforms to help them with ideas of what to get their family and friends.
According to this article, Dipayan Biswas, a marketing professor at USF and AI expert, this is the first holiday shopping season in which generative AI is being used on a large scale. Searches like “What should I buy my 6-year-old nephew?” or “What should I buy my wife?" have produced dozens of possibilities based on different categories and demographics through ChatGPT.
“That takes out problems related to people not liking their gifts, and my prediction is there will be fewer returns this year,” Biswas said. “People usually go back to the store to return items because the fit isn’t there and they don’t like what they got. I’m not saying it will be zero, but it will be less than what we had in the past.”
Technology will continue to be a driving force, with AI receiving a lot of attention this year and next. Having said that, 17% of consumers use chat GPT for product research and inspiration, and 10% are likely to take advantage of chat GPT for holiday shopping shopping aid. Brands and marketers will continue to leverage this technology, particularly around the holidays, to improve consumer purchasing experiences and promote loyalty. With the rapid development of these technologies, internet shopping is expected to generate massive revenues.
“On Cyber Monday you’re going to see more targeted ad campaigns rather than blanket ads. So if you’re seeing ads on the website you’re visiting or on your social media platforms, it’s not by accident,” Biswas said. “When you see those ads, chances are the ads you’re seeing are by design and they have a feeling it’s a good fit for you.”AI has had a significant impact on providing consumers with a better online shopping experience by displaying the most relevant products/services based on their online behavior. With the advancement of AI, the online buying experience will become more specific for each customer.
“That’s one of the things that kind of catches people off guard,” said David Schweidel, a marketing professor at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University in Georgia. His research specializes in marketing technology and AI. “AI in our lives is not new, whether we’ve used Google Maps or if you use Alexa or Siri or the spam filter on your email or autocomplete in texts and emails.” And it's true. Everyone uses AI, intentionally or not.
Some people think using AI for shopping could be useful to different groups of people. “It could be useful for like elderly people if they wanna get their grandchildren something,” says 8th grade Literary Arts student Kai Vejsada. However, there are others, like 7th grade Zara Quiter, Lit Arts, who disagree with Vejsada. “I think it's stupid. A robot doesn't know the people you're getting gifts for (if it does, that's creepy) and the whole point of gift giving is putting in effort to get a personal gift for someone you care about. Robots don't care!” insists Quiter. Amara Deanes, 6th grade Literary Arts student agrees with Quiter. “I think that using AI for gift ideas makes the gifts you give less personal. I feel like handpicked gifts are often more meaningful.”
Regardless of how you plan to buy gifts for your loved ones, it’s important that the gifts you give to them still have thought behind them. Otherwise, the entire point of gifting someone something isn’t there. Happy shopping, and more importantly, happy holidays.
According to this article, Dipayan Biswas, a marketing professor at USF and AI expert, this is the first holiday shopping season in which generative AI is being used on a large scale. Searches like “What should I buy my 6-year-old nephew?” or “What should I buy my wife?" have produced dozens of possibilities based on different categories and demographics through ChatGPT.
“That takes out problems related to people not liking their gifts, and my prediction is there will be fewer returns this year,” Biswas said. “People usually go back to the store to return items because the fit isn’t there and they don’t like what they got. I’m not saying it will be zero, but it will be less than what we had in the past.”
Technology will continue to be a driving force, with AI receiving a lot of attention this year and next. Having said that, 17% of consumers use chat GPT for product research and inspiration, and 10% are likely to take advantage of chat GPT for holiday shopping shopping aid. Brands and marketers will continue to leverage this technology, particularly around the holidays, to improve consumer purchasing experiences and promote loyalty. With the rapid development of these technologies, internet shopping is expected to generate massive revenues.
“On Cyber Monday you’re going to see more targeted ad campaigns rather than blanket ads. So if you’re seeing ads on the website you’re visiting or on your social media platforms, it’s not by accident,” Biswas said. “When you see those ads, chances are the ads you’re seeing are by design and they have a feeling it’s a good fit for you.”AI has had a significant impact on providing consumers with a better online shopping experience by displaying the most relevant products/services based on their online behavior. With the advancement of AI, the online buying experience will become more specific for each customer.
“That’s one of the things that kind of catches people off guard,” said David Schweidel, a marketing professor at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University in Georgia. His research specializes in marketing technology and AI. “AI in our lives is not new, whether we’ve used Google Maps or if you use Alexa or Siri or the spam filter on your email or autocomplete in texts and emails.” And it's true. Everyone uses AI, intentionally or not.
Some people think using AI for shopping could be useful to different groups of people. “It could be useful for like elderly people if they wanna get their grandchildren something,” says 8th grade Literary Arts student Kai Vejsada. However, there are others, like 7th grade Zara Quiter, Lit Arts, who disagree with Vejsada. “I think it's stupid. A robot doesn't know the people you're getting gifts for (if it does, that's creepy) and the whole point of gift giving is putting in effort to get a personal gift for someone you care about. Robots don't care!” insists Quiter. Amara Deanes, 6th grade Literary Arts student agrees with Quiter. “I think that using AI for gift ideas makes the gifts you give less personal. I feel like handpicked gifts are often more meaningful.”
Regardless of how you plan to buy gifts for your loved ones, it’s important that the gifts you give to them still have thought behind them. Otherwise, the entire point of gifting someone something isn’t there. Happy shopping, and more importantly, happy holidays.