Five ways AI can help you this Christmas
Christmas is the busiest time of year for most of us: presents to choose, cards to write, a big dinner to get on the table and visitors to keep entertained. AI can take a fair bit of that off your plate. Here are five ways I’d use it, with the words to type for each one. They work in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot.
Where you see words in [square brackets], swap them for your own details before you send it. You can change any of the other words too, so it fits exactly what you need.
1. Get the Christmas dinner on the table on time
I’ve been a reluctant chef all my life. Give me a meal that cooks in one pot and I’m happy. I actually enjoy that. A main meal is another matter, with several different things that need their own pans, their own methods and their own timings. I’m not the most patient or confident cook when it comes to that.
So I told ChatGPT I wanted to cook a Sunday roast for four people to be ready at a set time and gave it the ingredients I had. It worked out the amounts, the cooking times and a list of what to do and when. I worked to that list and the meal was very close to being spot on. It was much easier than working it all out from scratch on my own.
The only thing I had to change was the carrots. I hadn’t told it how I like them and I don’t like them undercooked. I tried one, gave them a bit longer and then told ChatGPT. It remembered that in the same chat, so next time it will know.
If it can do that for a Sunday roast, it can do it for Christmas dinner. Tell it how many are eating, what time you want to sit down and what you’re cooking. Mention your oven and how you like things done too, so it gets them right first time.
“I’m cooking Christmas dinner for [6] people and want it on the table at [2pm]. I’m doing [a 5kg turkey, roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, sprouts, stuffing and pigs in blankets]. I have [one fan oven and a four-ring hob]. I like my [carrots well cooked and soft]. Work out how much of each thing I need and give me a timed list, working back from [2pm], of what to do and when.”
Keep that chat. If you go back to it next Christmas, everything you told it this year will still be there. If you start a new chat, just tell it again. My post on AI in the kitchen has plenty more ideas for everyday cooking.
2. Find a present for the person who’s hard to buy for
We all have one. The more you tell AI about the person, the better its ideas will be.
“Suggest [five] Christmas present ideas for my [brother-in-law], who is [68]. He loves [fishing and old war films], already has [most gadgets] and my budget is about [£40]. For each idea, tell me why it might suit him.”
Prices move quickly before Christmas, so check the shop’s own website before you buy. When one idea stands out, my post on finding exactly the right product shows how AI can help you pick the best one.
3. Write your Christmas cards and thank-you notes
When you send a lot of cards, it’s hard to think of something fresh for each one. AI can give you a few warm lines for each person to start from.
“Write a short, warm message for a Christmas card to [my old neighbours Pat and John], who [moved to Devon this year]. Keep it to [three] lines and make it [friendly and a little cheeky].”
“Help me write a thank-you note to [my friend Margaret] for [the Christmas cake she made me]. Keep it [short] and say [how much we enjoyed it on Boxing Day].”
There are lots more ideas in my post on the perfect words for any card.
4. Check that delivery text before you tap
December is when most of us are waiting for parcels, so it’s also when the fake delivery texts arrive. If one asks you to tap a link or pay a small fee to rearrange a delivery, ask AI for a second opinion first.
“I’ve had a text saying [my parcel couldn’t be delivered] and I need to [pay £1.45 to rearrange it] using a link. Does this look like a scam and what should I do?”
You can also take a screenshot of the text and send it to AI. I show you how in my post on sending a photo. If it does turn out to be a scam, you can forward the text free to 7726, so your phone company can look into it and block the sender. For more examples, read my post Spot the scam or try my free Scam Checker.
5. Make a family Christmas quiz
A quiz is a lovely way to get everyone round the table after dinner, from the youngest to the oldest. AI can make one in seconds and pitch the questions so everyone has a chance.
“Make a Christmas quiz for [8] people aged [9] to [82]. Do [four] rounds of [five] questions on [Christmas films, Norfolk, food and music from the 60s and 70s]. Mix easy and harder questions so everyone can join in and put the answers at the end.”
Read through the answers before the big day, as you would with any quiz book, so the quizmaster knows their stuff. To see the kind of thing AI can make, have a go at my Norfolk Trivia Quiz or Word Connections game. I made both with AI to show what it can do.
Have a go this week
Pick one and try it. I’d start with the dinner list, because it made the biggest difference to me. Have a very happy Christmas.
A note on dates. Everything here was checked when it was written and I go back over my posts regularly to keep them up to date. Apps, prices and rules do change, so for anything important a quick look at the official source is worth it.
Want to go further?
My book, AI For Your Life, goes into all of this in much more detail. It is written in plain English, full of practical examples and designed for people who want to get useful things done with AI. Available on Amazon.
If you’d prefer to work through it with someone alongside you, I also offer one-to-one sessions where you can go at your own pace, ask anything you like and get hands-on with whatever you want to try. Get in touch to find out more.
Find out about the book Ask about one-to-one sessions Try apps, songs & games made with AI