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Even Elves are Using AI This Year: Simon Debuts ‘HolidAI’ Tool in Two Malls

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Since Santa’s magic only works in the vicinity of the North Pole, Simon Property Group has equipped “helper elves” with ChatGPT 4.0-powered AI technology to assist shoppers seeking the perfect gift. Beginning on Black Friday and recurring every Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 23, HolidAI elves carrying tablet devices will be strategically positioned throughout Simon’s Roosevelt Field mall in Garden City, N.Y. and Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, Calif.

The elves will lead shoppers through a series of predictively personalized AI-generated questions, allowing the Simon HolidAI Gift Finder to help shoppers identify spot-on gifts and pinpoint where within the mall they can be found. When not helping shoppers, the elves will be spreading cheer and brightening the holiday experience for shoppers through impromptu singing and dancing.

“As holiday shoppers engage with our lively, knowledgeable helper elves, they will experience the thrill of pinpointing just the right gift thanks to the latest advancements in AI,” said Lee Sterling, Chief Marketing Officer at Simon in a statement. “We know our shoppers crave connecting in real life and finding joy in discovering the new and different. Our HolidAI Gift Finder experience not only elevates gift-giving in a new and engaging way, it’s another special holiday memory waiting to be made.”

This isn’t the first time Simon has invested in streamlining the shopping mall experience: the operator launched a multi-retailer search engine, Simon Search, in June 2022, that features in-stock items at participating retailers in each mall, and expanded the platform to 187destinations earlier in 2023.

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