Overview
- A PwC consumer survey reported that roughly three-quarters of parents plan to use AI for back-to-school tasks and families expect to spend about $922 per child this season, helping explain the technology’s rapid uptake.
- Controlled tests by CBS found ChatGPT produced the most complete, lower-cost shopping plan, Gemini responded fastest but required follow-up and added unwanted items, and Alexa+ returned Amazon-only results with higher totals.
- A USA TODAY consumer test using the paid ChatGPT Plus plan found average savings of about $150 versus Amazon on K–12 lists and more than $400 in some college simulations, showing paid model features can improve results.
- Reporters found recurring risks: assistants can omit required items or include extras, platform linkages (for example, Instacart routing to Walmart) can lower prices but create omissions, and users must verify every recommendation before buying.
- Privacy and budget constraints matter for parents: journalists advise using temporary chats and toggling off data‑sharing settings to avoid exposing personal details, and rising laptop prices tied to demand for memory chips at AI data centers are reducing potential savings.