As the holiday season arrives, AI is emerging as a popular personal shopping assistant. Salesforce data predicts that AI will influence 21% of all global holiday orders, amounting to $263 billion in sales. Shoppers increasingly rely on AI to decide gifts, find the best prices, and, through new retailer partnerships, even complete purchases on their behalf. However, experts caution consumers to be careful before allowing AI to control their spending. According to Najiba Benabess, associate provost at Neumann University, AI functions both as a spending accelerator and governor, depending on usage. It shapes consumer behavior by simplifying purchase decisions through personalized recommendations, dynamic pricing, and one-click checkouts, which reduce cognitive effort and can increase impulse buys, especially of discretionary items. Behavioral economics shows that effortless decisions often lead to higher spending. Data from Adobe Analytics supports this, revealing a 1, 200% year-over-year rise in generative AI traffic in October, with these visitors 16% more likely to buy.

AI's influence is poised to grow as major retailers integrate it more deeply. For example, Walmart recently partnered with OpenAI to enable purchases through ChatGPT, and Target announced a similar collaboration, allowing full shopping experiences via ChatGPT including fresh food shopping, multiple purchases, and flexible fulfillment options. Given AI’s growing role, using it responsibly is crucial. Benabess warns that AI systems prioritize objectives set by humans—usually engagement or profits—rather than consumers’ long-term financial health, creating conflicts of interest, especially when AI’s recommendations involve commissions or sponsored products. Experts recommend using AI as a support tool, not a final decision-maker. Best practices include: leveraging AI for comparison shopping and deal-finding but making the final choice independently; remaining skeptical of potential biases from sponsorships or opaque algorithms; considering how AI advice aligns with your long-term financial goals since AI has no stake in your overall financial future; and pausing before acting on AI-driven recommendations, especially for large or emotional purchases. As Benabess advises, while AI operates quickly, sound financial decisions benefit from thoughtful delays—so putting uncertain purchases “on ice” to reconsider later is wise.