Brits think AI-powered tools would understand their likes and dislikes better than their other half when it comes to picking the perfect Christmas present
With just 100 days to go until Christmas Day, it turns out loads of Brits are ready to hand their festive shopping over to the machines. A poll of 2,000 adults found many plan to use artificial intelligence to track down presents for friends and family, and a surprising number would even be happy for AI to pick their own gifts, too.
More than one in five say they’d trust AI over their partner to choose a decent Christmas pressie. The study found 22% reckon tools like ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude would ‘get’ their likes and dislikes better than their other half, while 47% think AI can rummage through far more options than any human.
Turns out, 23% of us get given a dud gift every year, and for 12% it’s so bad, they’ve developed a fear of receiving presents, especially from their other half.
And it gets worse for the other halves: 38% believe AI can judge their interests more objectively, 36% say it remembers the little details better, and 29% think it spots the trends they’re into more than anyone else.
The study, commissioned by commerce trust intelligence platform Forter, also found that 53% of shoppers have already used AI to find gifts, or are open to the idea.
Jennifer Howard, chief merchant of Forter, which assists leading brands in assessing trust and risk throughout the online customer journey, said: “The ‘search bar’ is starting to look old-fashioned.
“People are asking AI to do the browsing, the comparing and the deciding for them.
“In fact, our research has found 39% of shoppers are more likely to buy from a retailer who has an AI agent to help with the purchasing journey and that nearly doubles to 63% among shoppers under 35 years old.
“Speed, convenience and security are still non-negotiables, especially during Christmas. Technology can spark the idea, but it’s shoppers who’ll decide how much of the actual buying they’re ready to hand over to AI agents.”
When questioned about which parts of the shopping experience people would feel most comfortable allowing AI tools to manage on their own, hunting for pressies (42%) topped the list. But, others would be willing to let AI take charge of delivery (15%) and even buy pressies on their behalf (12%).
Finding a pressie someone will love is a big stress point for 43% of adults. In fact, 25% of those polled spend between three and five hours trying to find the perfect one, with a whopping 15% spending more than 10 hours.
No wonder then, 33% believe the greatest advantage of using AI this year will be the time it could save.
Nearly half (45%) of those planning to use AI for shopping this year will use it to look for deals and discounts, while 46% would ask it to compare prices. And it’s most likely to be used by 47% when buying for a partner, 25% for a mate, and 24% for a sibling.
Tech was the top the gift shoppers would most trust AI to help find or buy, chosen by 32%. This was followed by beauty products (26%), books (22%), and clothing (22%).
Jennifer added: “AI is increasingly being used as a personal shopping assistant.
“This changing consumer behaviour means brands that make themselves easy to discover and trust, whether via a search engine or AI tool, will be the ones that benefit most this gifting season.”
TOP 10 WAYS ADULTS PLAN TO USE AI AT CHRISTMAS:
1. Inspiration for presents
2. Comparing prices of gifts
3. Finding deals and discounts
4. Product recommendations
5. Creating shopping lists
6. Recipes and cooking instructions
7. Planning festive activities
8. Inspiration for Christmas card messages
9. Buying gifts
10. Planning travel