Ask AI chatbots to pick a 17th birthday gift for a teen

Our fuller version of the person's prompt. They didn't use this version, and we haven't tested it.

Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish.

Goal: Help me brainstorm birthday gift ideas for a specific person, and check them against what that person actually likes.

Questions to ask me first:
- Who is the gift for, and how old are they?
- What do they spend their free time on right now, and what do they already own?
- What's your budget, and is there anything they've said they don't want?

Inputs (fill in or confirm):
- Person and age: [PERSON / AGE]
- Current hobbies, apps, music and favorite brands: [INTERESTS]
- Things they already have or dislike: [AVOID]
- Budget: [BUDGET]
- Gifts that went over well before: [PAST HITS]

Rules:
- Ask me follow-up questions before suggesting anything.
- Give 8 to 10 ideas tied to specific interests I listed, and say which interest each one matches.
- Skip weapons, novelty survival kits and anything based on age or gender stereotypes.
- Include at least two experience or subscription ideas, not just objects.
- Don't link to products; describe them so I can shop myself.

Checkpoint: After your first 5 ideas, ask me which are closest so you can refine the rest.

If you get stuck: If you don't know enough about the person, ask; don't fill gaps with generic gifts.

Verify before you finish: Check each idea against the things they already have or dislike.

Output: A short list grouped by price, with one line on why each fits.

Done when: I have 2 or 3 ideas I'm confident the person would actually like.

Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish.

Goal: Help me brainstorm birthday gift ideas for a specific person, and check them against what that person actually likes.

Questions to ask me first:
- Who is the gift for, and how old are they?
- What do they spend their free time on right now, and what do they already own?
- What's your budget, and is there anything they've said they don't want?

Inputs (fill in or confirm):
- Person and age: [PERSON / AGE]
- Current hobbies, apps, music and favorite brands: [INTERESTS]
- Things they already have or dislike: [AVOID]
- Budget: [BUDGET]
- Gifts that went over well before: [PAST HITS]

Rules:
- Ask me follow-up questions before suggesting anything.
- Give 8 to 10 ideas tied to specific interests I listed, and say which interest each one matches.
- Skip weapons, novelty survival kits and anything based on age or gender stereotypes.
- Include at least two experience or subscription ideas, not just objects.
- Don't link to products; describe them so I can shop myself.

Checkpoint: After your first 5 ideas, ask me which are closest so you can refine the rest.

If you get stuck: If you don't know enough about the person, ask; don't fill gaps with generic gifts.

Verify before you finish: Check each idea against the things they already have or dislike.

Output: A short list grouped by price, with one line on why each fits.

Done when: I have 2 or 3 ideas I'm confident the person would actually like.

Can you help me choose the perfect gift for my son’s 17th birthday?