---
title: Turning Generic Gifts Into Joy with AI
date: "2025-09-18T13:18:34Z"
lastmod: "2025-09-18T13:18:36Z"
categories:
  - llms
wp_id: 4188
description: "AI can personalize gifts at scale in a way that transforms generic corporate swag into something genuinely memorable and emotionally resonant."
keywords: ["personalization", "AI gifts", "employee experience", "image generation", "HR", "delight"]
---

![Turning Generic Gifts Into Joy with AI](/blog/assets/Anand-AI-Influencer-Straive-desk-plaque.webp)

In 2001, I received a campus interview invitation from [BCG](https://bcg.com/). It opened like this:

> Dear Anand,
>
> We'd like to invite you to an interview on … We were impressed by your …

… and went on to share 2-3 phrases about what they liked about my CV. A dozen of us got similar letters -- **each personalized**!

That was **cool**. Two decades later, I still remember it. It showed care and competence -- care enough to personalize for each candidate, competence to pull it off at scale across campuses.

Recently, I got a desk plaque unlike any other award I’ve received. It was personalized not just with my name, but with an AI-generated comic-rendering **of me**!

Our HR team uploaded my photo to an AI image tool and generated a comic version of my face. I loved it! I’ve thrown away **every** plaque I’ve received. This one stays on my desk.

That got me thinking. A thoughtful gift turns generic swag into something **memorable**. My plaque isn’t décor; it reflects **my love** for comics and AI.

Using AI research and image generation, **AI can personalize at scale**. That's not just efficiency. It's a **new level of care**. A personalized gift says, ‘We see you.’ (Weird that we need AI care at scale, but…)

We can do this with custom T-shirts, mugs, stickers… We juts need bots in parallel: scan profiles, extract interests, render images, review, design something personal. Something that brings a little more personality and delight into our lives.

My next step: AI-designed T-shirts for my daughter and me. Manga-themed for her; I’m still deciding mine.

[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sanand0_in-2001-my-campus-interview-invitation-from-activity-7374434172247011328-nOOS)