Artificial intelligence is transforming how consumers approach Black Friday shopping, with many turning to AI tools like ChatGPT to find the best deals and plan their holiday purchases.
Current landscape: A significant shift is occurring in Black Friday shopping habits as 44% of likely shoppers plan to use AI tools this year, according to a survey of 2000 consumers by research group Attest.
- Traditional Black Friday tactics like camping outside stores are being replaced by AI-powered deal hunting
- Major retailers including Amazon and Walmart are incorporating AI features to enhance the shopping experience
- Companies like OpenAI and Perplexity AI have expanded their search and shopping capabilities specifically for the holiday season
Consumer adoption: AI tools are helping shoppers navigate the complexities of modern holiday shopping while reducing stress and saving time.
- Jim Malervy, a Philadelphia marketing executive, uses ChatGPT and PayPal’s Honey to find discounts on specific items like the Margot Robbie Barbie doll
- Frédéric Bourgeois-LeBlanc from Montreal relies on Weever.AI for product recommendations instead of manual research
- Digital merchandising manager Sana Akibu starts all shopping searches with ChatGPT to track down specific deals and promo codes
AI capabilities and limitations: While AI tools offer powerful shopping assistance, they come with certain constraints that shoppers need to consider.
- ChatGPT can generate detailed shopping itineraries and find deals, but may sometimes provide outdated or inaccurate information
- The technology relies on probability-based answers that require verification
- Paid versions of AI services often provide more accurate results through real-time search capabilities
Market dynamics: Retailers are adapting to changing consumer behavior as traditional Black Friday shopping evolves.
- Major chains like Kohl’s and Best Buy report cautious sales outlooks as shoppers wait for significant discounts
- Retailers are preparing for record numbers of shoppers over the Thanksgiving weekend
- Dynamic pricing and rapidly changing online deals have made traditional deal-hunting methods less effective
Looking ahead: The integration of AI in holiday shopping represents a fundamental shift in consumer behavior that will likely reshape retail strategies.
- Walmart’s CFO John David Rainey acknowledges this transformation as “a glimpse of the future”
- AI companies are preparing their systems for increased holiday shopping traffic
- The technology is particularly appealing to younger consumers who are studying and embracing AI tools
Future implications: The growing adoption of AI shopping assistants signals a broader transformation in retail, where success will increasingly depend on seamlessly integrating artificial intelligence into the consumer experience while addressing accuracy and reliability concerns.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...