Let's be honest: sending Christmas cards is not a fun holiday activity. This is time consuming and can even be quite expensive. Using AI to create a Christmas card from scratch is tempting, but it's a surefire way to end up in my trash bin.
There have been many attempts to modernize the practice of sending Christmas cards. Who among us hasn't received a nightmare JibJab video where your face is glued to a dancing deer? However, AI is a completely different beast. There may be situations where this is actually useful, but Christmas cards shouldn't be one of them.
Nobody forces you to be “creative”
Here's the thing: It's okay to simply insert a photo of your baby or pet into a pre-made Christmas card template. You don't have to turn into an elf or create a signature that matches a New Yorker comic. There's nothing wrong with a simple selfie from a recent trip or a group photo of your family members in matching pajamas.
It often seems that people using generative AI for such purposes are simply trying too hard. Not all of us have the Photoshop skills to create our own card from scratch—and that's okay! Christmas cards are not for GCSEs in graphic design school. There is no point in burning several bottles of water to impress your loved ones with artificial creativity.
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Don't even think about writing a message using AI
Creating images for a Christmas card sucks, but it's not the worst thing you can do. Using AI to write messages to friends and family is just sad. It's nothing personal.
I would personally be offended if I found out that someone cared so little that they used artificial intelligence to write me a message. They couldn't come up with anything say it in your own way? Somehow this is worse than simply putting your signature on a store-bought card. At least they won't try to pass it off as their own writings.
No one is expecting a Pulitzer Prize-winning story detailing the past year. I'd rather someone just say, “I hope you have a great 2026!” than creating a soulless resume using AI. Knowing that someone took the time to write something themselves, especially if it is handwritten, is much more important than formatting and grammatical errors.
Effort is the essence
It all comes down to one thing we've all been told a million times: it's the thought that counts. It's the effort involved that makes the process worthwhile. Taking this away would be the same as not sending anything at all. Looking back at months of photos, finding a beautiful template, and crafting a heartfelt message is what it's all about. Even walking down the greeting card aisle and choosing a card requires more thought than using AI.
As cliché as it may sound, Christmas is a time of warmth, love and togetherness for many people. There is nothing colder and more sterile than a map created by a bot. The thing is, when it comes to Christmas cards, yes.or Content is important. If it doesn't have your personal touch, then it's not from you, and I don't want that.
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Christmas is approaching, the goose is getting fat. Most of my friends and family know that I'm a geek and often buy me tech gifts that they know I'll love. However, sometimes it would be better for them to save their money. If you want to buy something for a tech lover, don't give them these gifts.
