For many, this holiday season arrives alongside an uncomfortable reality. Prices are up, budgets are tight, and the pressure to give meaningful gifts has not gone away.

Luckily, modern psychology offers some good news. People often value personal, thoughtful gifts far more than expensive ones. Research consistently shows that what matters most to a recipient is the perceived effort, which is the distinct feeling that you made this just for me.

Thanks to the rise of accessible artificial intelligence, creating something heartfelt has never been easier or more affordable.

A growing number of people are turning to AI platforms to create gifts that feel intimate and emotionally rich. From custom-written love letters and illustrated family portraits to narrated videos and digital coupon books, technology is quietly reinventing how we express care.

At Florida International University, the application of generative AI in holiday gifting reflects the distinct foci of the students' academic disciplines. Students studying under Otis Kopp are utilizing these tools to create meaningful gifts. One digital marketing student noted: "I fed a list of my dad’s recent DIY projects and favorite books into ChatGPT and asked it to build a hobby profile. It came up with specific details I never would have known existed." For others, the technology offered a practical solution to entrepreneurial challenges, with another major noting, "For my sister’s small business, I used AI to create a brand kit, something normally you’d pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to execute professionally."

FIU students in Jessica Kizorek’s media courses are leveraging AI to bridge the gap........

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