Cheap Flowers Force You to Say What You Really Want
A test of AI flower delivery shows why delegating a gift means spelling out the wish to look good that you usually keep to yourself.
The a16z Show · The New AI Agents That Shop, Plan, and GossipDavid Pawlan, who tests AI shopping assistants, told fellow panelists he had asked several bots to order same-day flowers as cheaply as possible. Instinct, Kickr, and Season balanced price and delivery time, while the others found flowers that could arrive that day but gave price less weight.
Panelist Josh Elman, a venture investor, pointed out the complication. The flowers were for Pawlan's girlfriend, and Elman said she may not want to think Pawlan bought the cheapest flowers possible.
He added that Pawlan might also want to impress her, or get her favorite flower if she likes orchids. Investor Anish Acharya said the exchange shows how talking to an agent forces hidden wishes into words.
Acharya said people like to say they are not cheap. He said people must get over saying they are not cheap and simply tell the agent they are.
What he meant was that a real gift carries second-layer goals beyond cost and speed. Elman named making sure the price does not show up when she gets the flowers, and Pawlan said some assistants asked about leaving a note.
On his own, a buyer can act on those motives without stating them. Acharya argued that stating preferences to an agent makes the buyer spell them out.
Acharya's question was how an agent can draw out that honesty while keeping the buyer's "sense of identity and safety."
Questions people ask
Which assistants were best at finding cheap, fast flowers?
Pawlan said Instinct most consistently brought back the best price. Kickr also did well, helped because the user installs a Chrome browser for shopping, and Season handled both constraints well. The other assistants found flowers that could be delivered that day but gave less weight to price.
Did the panel discuss hiding the price or adding a card?
Elman raised hiding the price as something a buyer would want. Pawlan said some of the assistants in his test asked whether he wanted to leave a note with the flowers when they arrived.
Why is ordering flowers for someone else harder than ordering for yourself?
Pawlan said he was testing only cost and delivery time, with his girlfriend as the beneficiary. Elman and Acharya said a real gift would add other aims, such as impressing her and choosing a flower she likes.