EFFECT. HOLIDAY SHOPPING IS IN FLOOD TIME, ESPECIALLY ONLINE, WITH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE LOOKING FOR DEALS TODAY AND TONIGHT DURING CYBER MONDAY. AND WE ALL HAVE THAT PERSON ON OUR LIST, OR MAYBE A FEW WHO JUST SEEM TO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO BUY. TONIGHT WE’RE LEARNING HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COULD HELP OUR WLWT NEWS FIVE’S RACHEL WHELAN IS AT THE ROOKWOOD PLAZA TONIGHT, WHERE SHE TALKED WITH CUSTOMERS TONIGHT. HI, RACHEL. HEY GUYS. Yeah, we put the AI to the test, asking random shoppers here in Rookwood. WHO IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PERSON TO PLEASE ON THEIR LIST. WE ALSO ASKED THEIR AGE, BUDGET AND SOME OF THEIR INTERESTS, AND WE LET AI DO THE REST. I’m sure you’ve never thought about using AI to help you. NOT. NO WAY. NO. Maureen Morehead and Bill Ober say they’re almost done checking their lists. A LOT. So I have it. That’s why I still have to buy things. SO MAUREEN GAVE US A BUDGET AND THREE THINGS HER HUSBAND LIKES: TRAVEL, HIKING AND STAYING WARM. AND WE LET CHATGPT DO THE REST. WE HAD A UNIQLO DOWN JACKET. ALL RIGHT. IT’S TRAVEL FRIENDLY. HE SAYS, AND AFFORDABLE NOW. AMONG OTHER ITEMS UNDER $70. IT’S A GOOD PRICE. YEAH. AI HAS SUGGESTED SEVERAL WINTER JACKETS, COMPLETE WITH PRICE COMPARISONS AND SUMMARIES OF CUSTOMER REVIEWS. SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK? I think it’s worth a try. IT’S GOOD FOR GETTING IDEAS ON WHERE TO GO. THE RESULTS ALSO SURPRISED AMBER BUSCH, SHOPPING FOR HER EIGHT-YEAR-OLD SON. IT’S HIS LITTLE TRACK FOR HOODIES AND JOGGERS. He likes all that stuff. OKAY, THAT SHOWS YOU TO LOOK FOR KIDS’ HOODIES AND JOGGERS. IT’S HER SIZE 8 TO 10. IT’S CRAZY. YEAH. Convince her that maybe there’s a new way to shop. CERTAINLY. I’m going to use it as soon as I get here. Yeah, it’s really weird. Yeah, that’s a game changer. BUT THE TECHNOLOGY WAS NOT PERFECT. SOME BUYERS HAVE GOT LESS OPTIONS FOR WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR. It was kind of a bust. AS YOU BROWSE INTO THE STORE OR FROM HOME, KEEP IN MIND IT’S THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS. Have fun and enjoy it. DON’T STRESS. THERE’S STILL TIME. IT’S EARLY. BUT IT’S REALLY NOT THAT EARLY. SUPPLY CHAIN EXPERTS SAY IF YOU’RE BUYING ONLINE, YOU WANT TO PLACE YOUR ORDERS. NOW. IF YOU WANT THEM TO ARRIVE ON TIME. AND OF COURSE, IF YOU DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH ALL THIS AND THE DELAYS. LOCAL BUSINESSES WILL BE YOUR BEST BET. REPORTING FROM ROOKWOOD IN NORWOOD RACHEL WHELAN WLWT NEWS FIVE. Rachel, thank you very much. YOU WANT TO GO NOW BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE YOU MAY KNOW ARE SHOPPING ONLINE. SHOPPING, SO MANY SIZES. I WAS LOOKING FOR TODAY ALREADY SOLD OUT. YEAH, WE’
Can AI help you find the perfect Christmas gift? We tested it with buyers
WLWT put AI to the test with local shoppers after a unified communications expert said it could make buying Christmas gifts easier.
Updated: 11:14 p.m. EST, December 1, 2025
Editorial standards
Cyber Monday can be overwhelming, especially if you have a few people on your list who are notoriously difficult to shop for. UC’s Dr. Sachin Modi, professor of operations and supply chain management, says artificial intelligence can be a useful tool for buyers. “You can brainstorm with ChatGPT what might be the best gifts you could give someone. You can also use the technology to try to understand how you can stay within your budget.” So WLWT decided to put this to the test. At Rookwood Commons, we stopped everyday shoppers and asked them who was the most difficult person on their holiday list. Then we plugged their budgets and interests into an AI assistant to see what it would suggest. Maureen Moorhead needed a gift for her husband, Bill Oberer. She told us he loved traveling, hiking and staying warm. In seconds, the AI generated a list of lightweight winter jackets, complete with sale prices, customer reviews, and store options. A first choice: a Uniqlo down jacket for less than $70. “It’s a good price,” they said, admitting they never would have looked there on their own. “It’s really helpful, like before you go, to choose where you want to go,” Bill added, although he still prefers to shop in person. AI also impressed Amber Bush, who was shopping for her 8-year-old son. When the assistant recommended she browse kids’ hoodies and sweatpants in sizes 8 to 10, she lit up. “It’s also his size,” she said. “It’s crazy. It’s a game changer.” She said she plans to use AI as part of her shopping routine. But not everyone left convinced. “For what I was looking for, it was kind of a failure,” Jayne Faber said. “I think I better go door to door today.” Across the four shoppers we tested, the AI performed best when people provided specific information: hobbies, favorite colors, age ranges, and price limits. This was more difficult when the prompts were broad or specialized. Still, most buyers said it helps spark new ideas, and sometimes that’s all you need to get started.
Cyber Monday can be overwhelming, especially if you have a few people on your list who are notoriously difficult to shop for.
UC’s Dr. Sachin Modi, professor of operations and supply chain management, says artificial intelligence can be a useful tool for buyers.
“Something really exciting that has changed over the last year is that AI is now available to both consumers and online retailers,” Dr. Modi said. “You can brainstorm with ChatGPT about the best gifts you could give someone. You can also use technology to try to figure out how to stick to your budget.”
So WLWT decided to put this to the test.
At Rookwood Commons, we stopped everyday shoppers and asked them who was the most difficult person on their holiday list. Then we plugged their budgets and interests into an AI assistant to see what it would suggest.
Maureen Moorhead needed a gift for her husband, Bill Oberer. She told us he loved traveling, hiking and staying warm. In seconds, the AI generated a list of lightweight winter jackets, complete with sale prices, customer reviews, and store options. A first choice: a Uniqlo down jacket for less than $70.
“It’s a good price,” they said, admitting they never would have looked there on their own. “It’s really helpful, like before you go, to choose where you want to go,” Bill added, although he still prefers to shop in person.
AI also impressed Amber Bush, who was running errands for her 8-year-old son. When the assistant recommended she browse kids’ hoodies and sweatpants in sizes 8 to 10, she lit up. “It’s also his size,” she said. “It’s crazy. It’s a game changer.” She said she plans to use AI as part of her shopping routine.
But not everyone left convinced.
“For what I’m looking for, it was kind of a failure,” Jayne Faber said. “I think I better go door to door today.”
Across the four shoppers we tested, the AI performed best when people provided specific information: hobbies, favorite colors, age ranges, and price limits. This was more difficult when the prompts were broad or specialized. Still, most buyers said it helps spark new ideas, and sometimes that’s all you need to get started.
