😅🎁 ChatGPT is coming for Santa

🎤 Meet social anxiety’s final boss: This Boston dude is going viral on TikTok for his many *ahem* unique karaoke performances at local bars. Trust us, you’ve never heard “party 4 u” like this. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

🍪🍕 On the fourth day of B-Side, the newsletter gave to me … 12 Half Cookie gift cards ($20 each) and 12 Bardo’s Pizza gift cards ($20 each). For the dessert heads: Half Cookie fuels your finals-season sugar cravings with thick, gooey, half-baked cookies that taste like warm dough straight from the oven.

Balancing the sweet with the salty, Bardo’s Pizza delivers crispy bar-style pies, creative toppings, and cult-favorite specials that hit the spot every time. Plus, B-Side Members enjoy 10% off food when they visit.

👀 Want in? Be one of the first 10 members to fill out the form in your email TODAY between 1–2 p.m. 

Now, onto our regularly scheduled programming …

You like my gift? Gee thanks, ChatGPT bought it. AI shopping bots are already changing the holiday-gifting landscape, according to the Globe. And this is just the beginning. 

Here’s what to know:

🧑‍💻 Shoppers are turning to AI for holiday shopping recs. A recent survey found that 41% of U.S. consumers used AI to research gifts, and another 22% were considering it. And those numbers are even higher for Gen Z and millennials (56% and 62%, respectively). One consulting firm even predicts that so-called “agentic commerce” (a.k.a. shopping with an AI agent) could be a $1 trillion business by 2030. Yikes!

🛍️ Where shoppers go, the tech bros follow. OpenAI recently dropped Instant Checkout, allowing users to buy recommended products straight from ChatGPT, including Walmart’s entire catalogue. Meanwhile, Amazon AI assistant Rufus has been enhanced to recommend gift ideas, auto-buy items, and snag deals.

🤖 AI bigwigs compare the bots to free, online personal shoppers. Unlike Google, AI can take factors like personal preferences, budget, and price vs. quality into account. And it can respond to feedback, ultimately presenting you with a trim list of options within seconds. “When I go into ChatGPT, I might try to buy a holiday gift for an in-law that I don’t know very well,” Julia Wilson, a principal at KPMG US, told the Globe. “Then you can take that conversation all the way to the checkout.”

🎁 Our two cents: Not bad, but not great. When Gia asked ChatGPT what to buy Emily for Christmas, its suggestions were practical, albeit boring: An Owala water bottle, a notebook set, and a Walmart gift basket (Emily here: Thanks, but no thanks!). And when we asked for something a little more special, it (hilariously) suggested fancy perfume or this giant wearable blanket (you’re getting warmer …). Not bad for brainstorming, but nowhere near as good as a trip to Boston General Store or The Strategist’s Gift Scout.

😬 Like all AI “life hacks,” there are ethical questions to consider. For one, “Who’s influencing the recommendations it gives you?” asked MIT prof George Westerman (FWIW, OpenAI says no one). “It’s unclear how neutral [AI results] are because they’ve got to make money somehow.” Plus, bots pose a threat to small businesses. “If people are shopping online, it’s literally checking a box,” said Rachael Mott, owner of Hermit on Green Street. “It’s a lot easier to find something truly special and charming” while shopping IRL.

🛒 Wanna know more? Check out the Globe’s full story here.

🎄🌟 Looking to level up your holiday vibe? Swing by The Fenway Tree Farm at The Station, 1400 Boylston Street, open 9 a.m.–9 p.m. every day through Dec. 24, where the team will cut and strap your tree to your car for you — zero hassle. While you’re there, explore all the great shopping and dining The Fenway has to offer, and don’t miss the Fenway Tree Lighting tomorrow (Dec. 10) at 6 p.m. at the Kelleher Rose Garden, brought to life by the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, Samuels & Associates, and the Fenway Civic Association.

💸 Massholes are peacing out, and blaming high prices. A whopping one in three voters has considered leaving Mass. in the last year, according to a new Suffolk/Globe poll. And that’s despite most thinking the state is heading in the right direction. The culprit? $$$. For many (especially conservative Gen Zers and Boomers), the state's rising costs of healthcare, housing, and taxes are pushing them to seek cheaper pastures, even if they don’t want to. Assuming it sticks, this trend could wreak havoc on the state’s economy. Think: Hundreds of millions in lost tax revenue.

❄️ “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow” — Mayor Wu, probably. Wu announced the City of Boston is officially locked and loaded for this season’s winter weather, with over 37,000 tons of salt and 175 pieces of snow-clearing equipment at the ready. Perfect timing, considering there’s another chance for light snow or sloppy weather tonight (keep up with the latest here). Remember: It’s your landlord’s job to keep the steps and sidewalk clean during a storm, and space savers are only allowed during a snow emergency. Here’s all the info.

🔍 Out: Karen Read. In: Brian Walshe. Buckle up, true crime girlies, Boston has another high-profile murder case on its hands. This time, Cohasset’s Brian Walshe is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of his wife, Ana. The case’s winter setting, deeply questionable Google searches, and messy love triangle are all giving Karen Read, but unlike her, Walshe has already pleaded guilty to two lesser charges, including misleading police and improperly disposing of her body. The trial kicked off last week, and it's already WILD. Here’s a primer.

🛍️ Gen Zers are all-in on thrifted gifts. Per a new survey from eBay, 89% of consumers — especially Gen Z — plan to spend more on “pre-loved” goods this year. This news isn’t exactly surprising considering they also plan to cut back on holiday spending by 23% amid increasing economic uncertainty. But it’s not just about the cash. Secondhand gifts, or even making a gift, can feel “a lot more personal” than shopping at a department store, one Gen Zer told the Globe. Sound like you? Here are 10 cute DIY gift ideas.

There may be snow on the ground and holidays around the corner, but it’s always summer at Summer Shack. With $8 off when you spend $30 using code SSGLOBE on DoorDash, you can transport yourself to warmer days, and more importantly, lobster rolls. The only question left is: New England style or warm with butter?

Tired: Getting stuck behind a tour group dressed like the Founding Fathers. Wired: Taking your wedding photos with said Founding Fathers. 

That’s exactly what happened to this unsuspecting couple. The newlyweds were standing on the sidewalk getting photos taken when a group of very loud Paul Reveres (yes, plural) came running down the street, waving the American flag, riding stick horses, and shouting their congratulations.

Before the couple knew what was happening, the group had gathered around them and snapped what we can only assume is the world’s most incredible wedding photo. You gotta see it to believe it.

— Written by Gia Orsino, Emily Schario, and Claire Nicholas

🇺🇸 Thanks for reading! Unfortunately, this would’ve sent us into fight or flight.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Samuels & Associates, for supporting local journalism and helping make holiday magic happen in The Fenway.

🍕 The results are in: The B-Siders have decided that the official B-Side pizza will have a wood fired crust, which one of you called “the only correct answer.” A reader after our own hearts!

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].