TAMPA -- A new factor is influencing holiday shopping this year.
"This year is the first year where artificial intelligence is being used on a large scale by both customers and companies," says University of South Florida marketing professor Dipayan "Dip" Biswas
Dr. Biswas says people are asking AI for gift recommendations, by inputting basic demographic information such as age and sex.
Biswas says AI can help gift givers pick out items that make recipients happier. It can also help retailers, because better gift satisfaction means fewer returns.
But he says you need to add the human touch when using AI. "It's fine to look for recommendations for categories, but AI may not know if your significant other would like the product in red or blue."
Hear more from Dr. Biswas by listening to the podcast below: