TAMPA, Fla. — Many major retailers stayed closed this Thanksgiving, but they're getting ready for one of the busiest shopping days of the year, Black Friday.
This year more shoppers are turning to artificial intelligence.
Moira Scribner doesn’t slow down when she's shopping for herself, but when it comes to the gifts she's buying everyone else, she has a new assistant.
"I need a present for my 31-year-old brother who never wants anything, please help," Scribner said as she typed into her phone.
The app she had pulled up, ChatGPT.
"Give me a couple ideas," she said. "Premium socks, oh he does love socks I swear he always loses them, a grooming set, insulated mug things he'll use without thinking like a beer variety… thousands of things will pop up and I like wouldn't have thought to do any of those.”
Scribner said she’s turning to AI because of a problem many can probably relate to during the holidays.
"Shopping for my dad and my brother is nearly impossible every single year," Scribner said.
Between tariffs and inflation, many shoppers are feeling the pressure to stay on budget. AI could help with that.
"It will save you a lot of money over this very expensive time for a lot of families," said Jennifer Burton, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Tampa.
Burton said retailers are increasingly using AI, and shoppers can too.
"You can set up your AI with a wish list of things you want to buy and it will track who has that for the lowest price and even tell you the right day to buy it because as you know retailers are changing the price of products over the next month," Burton explained.
When asked if not using AI could put shoppers at a disadvantage this holiday season, Burton said yes.
"Especially for the price comparisons. If you want to know what retailer has your products for the best price and the right day to buy it how else are you going to know that without some kind of AI agent helping," Burton said.
A survey done for Mastercard found about 42% of shoppers are using AI tools for their holiday shopping this year.
Some shoppers don't need convincing to buy in.
"I feel like they understand if you describe something to them," said Keren Benalcazar. “They’ll give you things like this is going to match up do you want this then they ask you another question.”
There's no denying AI can help take out the guess work.
"It will bring them to categories for me so I can see like foolproof, gifts he'll use, fun but not childish," Scribner said.
Scribner isn't concerned some may see it as a shortcut.
"No it is cheating, but isn't that where the love is," Scribner said.
It might just be the gift that keeps on giving.
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