Consumer Test Drive: Can AI Do Your Christmas Gift Shopping For You?
A recent Guardian test evaluated whether AI can effectively pick Christmas gifts. The test revealed that while AI can suggest gifts, it often signals that the choices are algorithm-picked and typically favors larger, well-known brands unless explicitly prompted to consider alternatives.
About a quarter of Britons currently use AI to find products, which has encouraged brands to adapt their strategies to influence AI recommendations.
For instance, ChatGPT, when asked to suggest gifts for a middle-aged man who runs and photographs, recommended items including a £129 Canon lens from Argos, a £71.72 tennis racket sensor tracker from Amazon, and a £34.98 recycled camera bag, labeling the camera bag as the ideal present. When operating under a tighter budget, the AI proposed tennis-racket-emblazoned socks at £18, which were considered poor value.
Initial AI outputs heavily favored Amazon, with seven of nine suggestions coming from the retailer. However, when asked for niche options, it recommended a £30 minimalist tennis court print from Smart Party Shop and suggested exploring Etsy or Not On the High Street-type sellers.
For a woman interested in beauty, DIY, and fitness, the AI proposed a £17.50 Odylique rose moisturiser gift set and a £30 Floris sandalwood candle, presenting these as more personal than mainstream lipstick. The AI's suggestions for DIY tools leaned toward a small pink plier kit rather than traditional power tools, reflecting ongoing gender-stereotype biases.
Locally, ChatGPT recommended shops such as ALKEMI in Nunhead and Jo’s House and Forget Me Not And Green in Herne Hill when shopping offline, although results varied by location.
Google Gemini offered different and personalized gift ideas for a man interested in chess, gaming, reading, and techno/house music, suggesting a £22 chess strategy book, a £50 Bandcamp gift card, and a £30–£40 hot sauce tasting kit.
Overall, the test highlights that AI tends to push bigger brands unless users take time to steer prompts, which can undermine the convenience that AI gift-shopping aims to provide.
