At the HVG AI Training & Workshop in November, two topics stood out as especially relevant for the holiday season: so‑called AI agents and Human Digital Twins (HDTs). Both technologies are already in practical use: AI agents can automate shopping, while digital twins can create virtual representations of people so they can participate in family events remotely.
What are AI agents?
AI agents are systems that can interpret instructions, make decisions and act without human intervention. They rely on machine learning and natural language processing (NLP). Unlike traditional AI systems that often require more human oversight, many agents learn and improve their performance over time.
Practical uses:
- In finance, agents produce personalized offers.
- In manufacturing, agents monitor equipment and predict maintenance needs.
- In shopping, agents browse multiple sites, compare prices and reviews, add selected items to a cart and can initiate payment.
Specific examples and how they operate: Perplexity recently unveiled an AI shopping assistant currently available only to U.S. users. Perplexity’s agent extracts product data directly from merchant sites, offers one‑time debit cards to reduce financial risk, and in some cases uses human overseers to ensure transactions proceed smoothly.
Why this matters for Christmas During the holiday rush, an AI agent can execute a single, well‑crafted prompt to find suitable gifts quickly, saving users both time and money. The outcome is better if the user supplies specific details — recipient interests, price range, and other constraints help the agent narrow choices.
What is a Human Digital Twin (HDT)?
Digital twins are virtual replicas of physical objects or systems that collect and analyze real‑time data. A human digital twin extends this idea to people, modelling not only external physical attributes but also personality traits, skills and behaviour patterns that resemble internal characteristics.
The concept dates back to the 1970s and the NASA Apollo program, where Earth‑based simulations of spacecraft and crews were used. Since then, digital twin technology has found industrial and healthcare applications. The European Union supports the field via the European Virtual Human Twins Initiative, which promotes next‑generation virtual human solutions.
In media and entertainment, combining 3D modelling and AI led to platforms such as Metaverse, Scaniverse and Spatial.io, which let users create virtual spaces, scan avatars and objects, and engage in real‑time shared activities — from lectures to concerts to family gatherings.
How to use these tools at Christmas
If relatives cannot travel for the holidays, platforms like Spatial.io allow families to build a virtual living room, scan a decorated tree, and invite everyone to join. Participants meet with avatars, share virtual food without real‑world consequences, and add playful elements like a 3D holiday train or Santa. Users with VR headsets can achieve a more immersive, near‑physical experience.
Risks and precautions
Alongside benefits, there are clear risks:
- Privacy: shopping agents handle billing and bank card information. Without strong security or transparent disclosures about third‑party involvement, personal data can be exposed.
- Media abuse: deepfake technologies create convincing image and audio fakes that put words or actions into people’s mouths. Such synthetic media has been produced for public figures including Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg, and there are fabricated Tom Cruise avatars with social profiles.
- Misuse of digital twins: virtual versions of people could be used for fraud or pornographic material if they fall into the wrong hands.
Practical advice:
- Use agents and platforms from reputable providers and read privacy policies carefully.
- Prefer systems that minimize data access, use temporary payment instruments (such as one‑time cards), and offer human oversight options.
- Consider carefully where you upload your digital likeness and what permissions you grant.
Conclusion
AI agents and human digital twins are already affecting everyday activities from shopping to remote family celebrations. For the holidays they can offer tangible benefits — saving time, simplifying purchases, and enabling presence across distances — but they also demand careful handling of personal data and vigilance against synthetic‑media abuse.
(The points above draw on presentations at the HVG AI Training & Workshop and examples involving Perplexity, OpenAI, Google, Amazon, Spatial.io and the EU’s European Virtual Human Twins Initiative.)
