By John Dudley, University Communications and Marketing
Artificial intelligence is expected to play an outsized role this holiday season.
From AI-generated ads to consumers using platforms such as ChatGPT to compile shopping
lists, the technology 鈥渋s on track to revolutionize how people shop,鈥� according to
RetailWire鈥檚 .
John Licato, associate professor of computer science and engineering in the University of South
51在线鈥檚 College of Engineering, explains how retailers and consumers will use the technology this year. Licato is
an expert in AI, natural language processing and human reasoning.
Q. How can people use AI to brainstorm gift-buying for the holidays?
A. One way is to use AI to reason about the preferences and likes of loved ones based
on what you know about them (use only publicly available information here, Licato
notes), and then use that to generate appropriate gift ideas.
Q. How would someone do that?
A. Start by gathering insights about your loved one's preferences, including hobbies,
favorite brands and recent purchases. You can simply write a list of bullet points
for each person, describing general things you know about them. For example, "she
plays soccer a lot,鈥� or "his favorite show is 鈥楤reaking Bad.鈥欌�� Feed this information
into a reputable chatbot like ChatGPT or Claude and ask it to use this information
to analyze patterns and suggest relevant gift options based on their interests. If
you're worried about privacy issues, leave your loved one's name and other personal
information out of the prompt.
Q. What if the results aren鈥檛 quite what you鈥檙e looking for?
A. You can refine the AI's suggestions by giving feedback, helping it become more
accurate in offering thoughtful, tailored gift ideas. For example, if it suggests
a gift idea that you know won't work, tell it why it's a bad idea and have it suggest
more based on that feedback.
Q. Can AI also help shoppers price-compare items on their list?
A. Yes, and large language model (LLM) tools are increasingly connecting to live search
engines to get the most up-to-date information. But always double check the outputs
before you act on them. For example, ask for links to websites so you can make sure
the pricing is correct.
Q. We鈥檝e seen mixed reviews for AI-generated holiday ads such as one recently aired
by Coca-Cola. Should we expect more of this kind of content in the future?
A. There might be a bit of a pullback due to the public backlash from that ad, but
the genie is already out of the bottle. Media companies at all levels are using AI
tools to supplement their production and content creation.