ChatGPT was officially launched on November 30, 2022.
From script writing to headshot generation, artificial intelligence has established itself as a prominent player in all areas of professional life, and the travel industry is no exception. While novice travelers have traditionally opted for travel agents or consulting local tourism agencies, recent technological advances have introduced a new strategy to plan the perfect vacation, but despite its ease of use, some figures in the realm of travel worry that the information. given through platforms like ChatGPT is far from perfect.
In an effort to expose ChatGPT’s weaknesses, TourScanner Co-founder Guillaume Picard fed several questions into the program, specifically asking for “hacks to save money visiting top tourist attractions.” While responses ranged from “timing is everything” to “consider annual steps,” some responses were more concerning.
Become a Temporary Tour Guide
In an effort to reduce attraction costs, the platform provided the following suggestion: “Some attractions allow visitors to volunteer as temporary guides. In exchange for your time and knowledge, you can receive income free or special access”.
It is easy to see how such a strategy could lead to immediate problems. Picard notes that tourists are likely to lack sufficient training in terms of a typical tour guide – it is needed 18 months to be certified as a guide in London, for example, while simultaneously offering spontaneous tours to unsuspecting visitors is likely to take a large amount of time, therefore torpedoing your peaceful vacation. Instead of this advice, TourScanner suggests that visitors wait for their attractions during the quiet season or during the hours.
Offer your professional skills
A second piece of advice given by ChatGPT weighed the option of using your personal talents to your advantage, saying: “Offer your skills or services in exchange for admission. For example, if you are a professional photographer, you can offer to take promotional photos for the attraction.”
Regardless of how talented you are, Picard notes that posing this as an alternative to buying a ticket “will probably get you laughed out the door or met with a strange look.” While it is likely that popular destinations have already accumulated a wealth of high-quality photos, this solution also has the added disadvantage of taking work away from locals, potentially contributing to widening the wealth disparity between tourists and residents seen in many developing nations. As an alternative, Picard suggests that visitors consult the local tourism office to look for alternative, less frequented destinations to explore.
Take dangerous transport
Finally, one solution was particularly troubling to Picard. In an effort to reduce transportation costs, ChatGPT gave the following advice: “If it’s safe and legal in the area, consider hitchhiking or sharing rides with other tourists to save on transportation costs.”
While it’s certainly cost-effective, hitchhiking has been devastating — and yet deadly– results for many people over the decades. In addition to the danger already present, Picard notes that communication barriers or lack of knowledge of cultural intricacies could lead to unsafe situations, with the potential of being stranded in an unknown place if the negotiations go south. Instead of trying to hitchhike, Picard sticks to tried and true methods that range from walking to biking to using public transportation.
While artificial intelligence certainly has its place in society, it’s clear that any program is still far from perfect – and when it comes to travel advice in particular, your best bet is to talk to a real human who is well versed in the craft. To plan a truly memorable trip, be sure to take all AI-generated advice with a grain of salt, or for best results, consult a real-life travel expert to ensure your trip is as hassle-free as possible as humanly possible.
Alan Turing is often considered the father of modern artificial intelligence.
