Last-minute panic? What really happens when you turn to ChatGPT to do your Christmas shopping

Gifts, like insults, are most effective when deeply personal. Getting a present right – seeing the glee in someone’s eyes or the lump start to rise in their throat – can provide such satisfaction that many of us who are enthused lurk surreptitiously throughout the year, noting down items or experiences that our family and friends have mentioned and squirrelling the flawless ideas away, ready for a special occasion.

Famously, it’s the thought that counts, which is why I was mildly horrified to see AI models like ChatGPT and Google Gemini advertising new shopping features designed to take the effort and original thinking out of this gift-giving process – just in time for the 2025 festive panic. Merry Christmas, everyone. Really, I shouldn’t have been surprised. We’re now using AI for medical advice, therapy, friendship and even love. What’s a little personal shopping assistance when your girlfriend is already a robot?

Our reliance on AI has already been predicted to make us stupider (duh). However, sadly, it may well be making us less thoughtful, too. In fact, a 2025 survey found that 71 per cent of us are planning on using AI to select our Christmas presents this year – a startling 40 per cent increase from the number in 2024.

“My family is having ChatGPT choose the gifts for our gift exchange this Christmas. Are we for real?” complained one person on X/Twitter. “We’ve got to make using AI to figure out personal gifts a social crime,” another user added. “I don’t even do gift cards or cash as presents because I think it’s too impersonal,” a third person chimed in. “The thought of using AI to choose a gift is soul-crushing to me.” But, elsewhere, users raved about the process. “It’s the prompt that counts,” one person joked.

This proves itself to be true when I take the shortcut for a spin. “Think of presents for dad” returns a selection of £6 mugs emblazoned with the word “DAD” (creative!) and a Cadbury chocolate gift hamper. But after plugging in various personal details about him, I’m handed a suggestion I genuinely hadn’t thought of. My father is a simple man. He likes Chelsea FC, jazz music and staying in southwest London. Within a few clicks and reangles, ChatGPT tells me to take him to the 606 Club in Chelsea, where they do a Sunday lunch service for families that’s more relaxed than their late-night offerings – perfect and thoughtful.

It falls flat, though, when it comes to my mum. I want to buy her some nice knitwear and describe her sense of style and the budget I’m working within – but all the options are bland and boring. The fun thing about shopping for clothes is that when you’re browsing, you see items you never would have searched or originally planned to go for. You just clock it and think, that’s them. So, it’s best to let my analogue self take the wheel with this one. Unless I want to be hit with an “oh… that’s, er, nice” on Christmas morning.

While it’s this wide choice of styles and colours that often makes in-person shopping fun and surprising, research suggests that it’s the reason there are so many options now available that could be driving us into ChatGPT’s mitts in the first place. One study found that a large assortment of products majorly contributes to us experiencing “choice overload”, which increases shopping anxiety and reduces the likelihood of us actually making a purchase. A “blue jumper” search on Asos produces over 500 options.

Additionally, studies have shown that the more fearful we are about buying a gift, the more we mess up by going for trend-led pieces over presents with personal or sentimental value. Enter AI to flog you something for any colleague, distant family member or neighbour you barely know, and is it phew, or ewww?

Surprisingly, the purveyor of all things etiquette, Debrett’s, isn’t actually anti-AI gifting. “I would argue that the process of present buying is less important than the result, so there is no shame in getting help from anywhere and everywhere,” says director Rupert Wesson. “After all, if you are struggling to buy a present, it is better to get help and achieve spectacular success than battle away singlehandedly and still come up short.” Still, he adds: “Don’t expect miracles. After all, AI is not capable of thought and for this reason it is unlikely to provide that original, highly personal and ultimately thoughtful gift.”

But then, in the heat of a high street crush of panicked Christmas shoppers, are any of us? Fundamentally, ChatGPT and Google Gemini do not know your (genuinely) close loved ones better than you do, but AI can be a nice helping hand. However, hand over your whole gift-giving brain and you too could end up with the £6 “DAD” mug. Happy blooming Christmas.

Have you used ChatGPT to help with your Christmas shopping this year? Let us know how it did