USF expert: ‘Tis the season for AI among shoppers and retailers

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 "is on track to revolutionize how people shop," according to RetailWire's 2024 holiday shopping forecast.

John Licato, associate professor of computer science and engineering in the University of South Florida's 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," or "his favorite show is 'Breaking Bad.'" 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't quite what you're 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've 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.