What the Tech: Chatgpt and Christmas gifts
If you unwrap something this Christmas that feels oddly practical, like a vacuum cleaner or a
budgeting book, don’t take it personally. There’s a good chance it wasn’t your loved one’s idea
at all. It might have come from artificial intelligence.
A growing number of people are turning to AI tools like ChatGPT, Alexa, and Google’s Gemini to
help them come up with Christmas gift ideas. Type in a few details about the person you’re
shopping for, their age, interests, and budget, and within seconds AI offers a neatly organized
list of gift suggestions.
It sounds smart and efficient, but there’s a problem.
AI Doesn’t Know Your People. It Knows Data.
ChatGPT doesn’t actually know your friends or family. It doesn’t have opinions or feelings. It
works by analyzing billions of examples such as product reviews, shopping lists, social media
posts, and online wish lists to predict what someone like your wife, husband, or teenager might
want.
It’s connecting data points, not relationships.
I tested it myself. I asked ChatGPT, “What should I get my wife for Christmas? She’s busy,
practical, and appreciates useful gifts.”
The response?
A high powered robotic vacuum cleaner and a personal finance book about budgeting. You could almost hear it say, “Good luck with that.”
The AI wasn’t wrong. Those are practical gifts. But they’re not personal. AI doesn’t know that my
wife already has a vacuum or that giving a budgeting book as a Christmas gift might not be the
romantic gesture I think it is.
How AI Chooses Its Answers
When ChatGPT makes suggestions, it’s pulling from patterns in language and data. If millions of
people who describe their spouses as busy and practical bought vacuums or planners last year,
the algorithm assumes that’s a safe bet. It’s not being creative, it’s being statistical.
That’s why AI gift lists often sound logical but miss the mark emotionally. It can find what’s
popular, but not what’s personal.
How to Make AI Work Better for Gift Ideas
If you do want to use AI to help brainstorm, specificity is your best friend.
Give it as much detail as you can.
What hobbies or interests does this person have?
What’s their favorite TV show, vacation spot, or food?
Is there something they already have too many of?
The more context you include, the smarter and more personal the answers will be.
You can even ask it to combine ideas. “What’s a creative gift for someone who loves gardening and
travel?” pushes the AI beyond the usual generic recommendations.
AI is great at patterns. It can predict what people buy, but it can’t understand why they buy it. It
doesn’t know the inside jokes, sentimental memories, or the meaning behind a gift.
So if you unwrap something that feels a little impersonal this Christmas, don’t be offended. Don’t
even blame the giver.
Blame the algorithm, and maybe save the receipt.
