There are days left till Christmas and as soon as once more, regardless of promising your self you would not let your festive duties creep up on you this time, you have left all the things to the final minute.
No presents purchased, turkey unordered – few issues are as hectic as discovering your self unprepared for the large day.
But maybe assist has by no means been simpler to return by. After all, if AI actually goes to take all our jobs, then absolutely it ought to deal with the strain of Christmas planning?
In case you end up with the love and respect of your family and friends on the road, I made a decision to lean on a few of the web’s high AI instruments to see if they may assist salvage the large day at quick discover.
Present concepts
ChatGPT was my alternative for current concepts, concentrating on my instant household.
Setting the funds at £50 an individual, I informed it my dad loves Arsenal, golf, and devices; mum enjoys cooking, cats, and humanities and crafts; and my sister is obsessive about Taylor Swift.
For dad, it really helpful Arsenal merch like a shawl, mug, or keychain, golf equipment like “a new set of golf balls, golf gloves or a golf towel”, or a “cool gadget” like a smartphone stand for his desk.
Rather uninteresting solutions, and “cool” is doing a whole lot of heavy lifting, however nothing offensive. I may work with it.
For mum, how about some “quality cooking utensils or gadgets”? Maybe a sketchbook or knitting supplies? Or how about discovering her a “cute cat-themed apron or a cat-shaped cutting board”?
And for the last word Swiftie, I used to be informed to contemplate her newest album or live performance tickets “if she has a tour coming up”.
Taytay tickets for £50? Not in your wildest desires.
When and the place to purchase
Sticking with ChatGPT, I requested for some purchasing suggestions.
It did not get off to a terrific begin, suggesting I bask in Black Friday gross sales weeks after they’d completed.
But it mentioned “many retailers have pre-Christmas sales and promotions in early to mid-December” too, and a few “may offer last-minute discounts as Christmas approaches”.
“Consider shopping during off-peak hours or days to avoid crowds,” it added, and examine on-line supply instances.
In phrases of shops, ChatGPT really helpful Amazon, Etsy, Not On The High Street, Sports Direct and H&M, and inspired exploring native ebook and craft outlets.
Department shops like John Lewis and M&S had been additionally proposed.
Personalised playing cards
Given my full lack of artistic expertise, I believed AI might need the right probability to shine by making some personalised playing cards.
I used fashionable picture mills Stable Diffusion and DALL-E 3.
For my sister, I requested Stable Diffusion to “design me a Christmas card cover featuring Taylor Swift holding up a boom box outside a girl’s bedroom window on a snowy evening singing ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You'”.
These instruments are recognized to wrestle with arms and fingers and whereas this pretend Taylor’s left hand seems OK, her proper hand… not a lot.
There’s additionally an unsettling nutcracker high quality to her agape jaw.
I used DALL-E 3 to make a card for my nan.
I requested it for a one “featuring an elderly lady making her way through a big box of chocolates, and while watching ballroom dancing” (it refused to acknowledge Strictly).
It definitely took the “big” requirement very severely.
And for max effectivity, I requested each to have a go at an Arsenal card I may ship to some pals.
“Design me a Christmas card cover featuring Arsenal players Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Odegaard in Arsenal-themed Christmas jumpers delivering presents to Mikel Arteta outside the Emirates Stadium,” I wrote.
Who’s who’s anybody’s guess – and DALL-E 3 made a reasonably embarrassing typo.
Menu planning
I obtained Google‘s Bard to plan dinner.
We’ll have three meat eaters and two vegetarians to take care of, and – given that is all final minute – I informed it no grocery store for miles had any turkeys left.
I additionally requested for a recipe for some Christmas gingerbread biscuits.
Suggested appetisers had been butternut squash soup and mini quiches with bacon, cheddar, and caramelised onions.
For the principle, it was both herb-roasted rack of lamb with roasted root greens or stuffed portobello mushrooms crammed with quinoa, roasted veg, and herbs.
Sides had been to be shared: mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and thyme (mash with Christmas dinner?!), sauteed Brussels sprouts with bacon, and cranberry sauce.
And it is sticky toffee pudding for dessert.
Fun and video games
Some video games to play on the dinner desk was my subsequent request.
Bard really helpful Two Truths And A Lie, I Spy, The Name Game, Heads Up, and Scattergories.
Heads Up even got here with a cheeky hyperlink to the app on the Google Play Store.
“The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the time with your family and friends,” it added.
Bard, you might be hopelessly naive.
Festive tunes
Given one of many large speaking factors of the yr has been the risk AI poses to the humanities, I believed I’d discover whether or not Mariah Carey has something to fret about by requesting a brand new Christmas track.
Lyrics had been written by ChatGPT, which I requested for a track in regards to the position AI may play at Christmas.
I do not learn about you, however I feel Mariah’s job is certainly protected.
To be truthful, ChatGPT is a fan.
Asked for some songs to construct a Christmas playlist, she got here out high of the pile, with Wham, Bobby Helms, Jose Feliciano, and Dean Martin rounding out its favorite 5.
An ideal Christmas if ever I heard one.
Source: information.sky.com”