Orit Ofri thought she could trust AI to give her travel tips for a recent trip to Paris. And why not? She was using the latest version of ChatGPT. And as a marketing consultant from Portland, Ore., she knew her way around the technology.<\/p>\n
But the technology apparently didn\u2019t know its way around the City of Light. <\/p>\n
For example, it recommended visiting the Mus\u00e9e d\u2019Orsay on Monday, when it\u2019s closed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also asked for restaurants that are within a 10 minute walking distance from the Eiffel Tower and it gave me restaurants that were more than 20 minutes away,\u201d she remembers. \u201cI realized it was giving me bad advice.\u201d<\/p>\n
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By signing up, you agree to our\u00a0Terms of Service<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n Welcome to the brave new world of AI travel planning. It\u2019s promising. It\u2019s convenient \u2014 but it\u2019s not quite ready for prime time.<\/p>\n Artificial intelligence has quickly become the traveler\u2019s favorite planning tool, promising hyper-efficient, personalized itineraries at the touch of a button. Surveys show a majority of travelers now trust its recommendations<\/a>. <\/p>\n But this convenience comes with a hidden cost: AI\u2019s confident algorithms often hide errors and biases that can derail a dream vacation. And they force users to question whether the technology is a true digital guru or an overhyped electronic shill.<\/p>\n The promise of a digital travel guru<\/p>\n The AI travel pitch is seductive. Tell ChatGPT your preferences, budget and dates. Then watch it craft a personalized itinerary in minutes that would take hours to research manually. No more scrolling through endless travel blogs or cross-referencing restaurant reviews.<\/p>\n \u201cAI can rapidly generate a broad itinerary and compare destinations far faster than a human ever could,\u201d says Nic Adams, CEO of the security tech company 0rcus. \u201cThe primary advantage is efficiency in rapidly synthesizing information.\u201d<\/p>\n Terri Brien, an interior designer who used ChatGPT to plan her London trip, experienced this firsthand. She fed the system her preferences for design-focused experiences and foodie spots with historic charm. The result? A nine-day itinerary that was efficient and fun.<\/p>\n \u201cEach day flowed naturally,\u201d Brien says. \u201cI wasn\u2019t zig-zagging across the city. When my Cotswolds tour was canceled, ChatGPT suggested the National Gallery, which was perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n The numbers back up the enthusiasm. Travelers using AI for summer planning saved an average of seven hours. One in five spent less money than expected, and 78 percent discovered new destinations they wouldn\u2019t have found otherwise, according to a recent Qlik survey.<\/p>\n When smart algorithms do stupid things<\/p>\n But scratch the surface, and the cracks start showing.<\/p>\n Jonas Muthoni, an AI expert who analyzed thousands of AI-generated content pieces, tested ChatGPT for a recent Kenya trip. The AI confidently recommended visiting Maasai Mara National Reserve during peak migration season without mentioning that road conditions make certain lodges inaccessible. <\/p>\n \u201cThe AI pulled from outdated tourism websites rather than current local knowledge,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n It gets worse. SEO Travel, a U.K. digital marketing agency, recently put AI itineraries to the test and found that 90 percent contained at least one error. Nearly one in four recommended permanently closed restaurants or attractions. Over half suggested visiting places outside their operating hours.<\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest issue is AI\u2019s inability to factor in real-time conditions or nuanced preferences,\u201d says Clayton Johnson, a digital marketing expert from Minneapolis, who arrived 45 minutes late to a client meeting after trusting Google\u2019s AI routing through construction zones.<\/p>\n The bad information problem<\/p>\n Here\u2019s where things get really concerning. AI doesn\u2019t just make mistakes \u2014 it makes them with supreme confidence.<\/p>\n \u201cAI can create bias and incorrect results if outdated data is used,\u201d warns Katie Robertson, technology director at 360 Private Travel. \u201cGetting an incorrect recommendation isn\u2019t just inconvenient; it can completely ruin someone\u2019s travel experience.” <\/p>\n Chris Dyer, an AI expert who used multiple models to plan a recent family vacation in Japan, discovered this pattern. <\/p>\n \u201cA ferry time was wrong,\u201d he recalls. \u201cA museum that required timed entry was sold out. A temple was under renovation. Transit times were optimistic. A recommended restaurant had switched to reservations only.\u201d<\/p>\n AI predicts text from patterns and averages. It doesn\u2019t know about holiday changes, maintenance closures, festivals or strikes. It\u2019s weak at sequencing stops with real travel times and crowd patterns. But that\u2019s not the only problem.<\/p>\n AI\u2019s hidden agenda<\/p>\n There\u2019s another issue lurking beneath AI\u2019s helpful exterior: commercial bias.<\/p>\n Milton Brown, who manages digital marketing budgets, tested ChatGPT for a recent trip. It recommended hotels 40 percent more expensive than equally rated alternatives just three blocks away. <\/p>\n \u201cThose recommended hotels had aggressive digital marketing campaigns targeting the exact keywords the AI was trained on,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Most AI tools don\u2019t disclose their data sources or weighting mechanisms. Biases toward monetized listings remain invisible to users.<\/p>\n \u201cAI frequently suggests mainstream aggregators rather than uncovering hidden deals,\u201d Adams notes. \u201cTransparency varies, and most tools do not disclose weighting mechanisms.\u201d<\/p>\n The savvy traveler\u2019s AI guide<\/p>\n So how do you harness AI\u2019s power without falling into its traps? The pros have figured out a system.<\/p>\n Start with AI, finish with humans.<\/b> Use AI to brainstorm ideas and compile options, then cross-reference everything with recent reviews and local sources. \u201cThink of AI as a starting point,\u201d advises Chip Lupo of WalletHub. \u201cNot a final travel agent.\u201d <\/p>\n Be specific with your prompts.<\/b> Generic requests get generic and often inaccurate responses. Instead of \u201cPlan 5 days in Buenos Aires,\u201d try \u201cMy partner and I love music, wine and literature. Plan us 5 days in Buenos Aires with Borges locations and off-the-beaten-path wine bars.\u201d<\/p>\n Verify the vital details.<\/b> Check opening hours, reservation requirements and current conditions directly with venues. \u201cThe moment AI starts giving you specific prices or claiming something is \u2018the best,\u2019 that\u2019s when you need human verification,\u201d says Muthoni, the AI expert.<\/p>\n Use AI for what it does best.<\/b> Let it handle initial research, compare broad options and organize information. Don\u2019t let it make final booking decisions. That should be your choice.<\/p>\n One more thing. AI is evolving quickly, so even if your first experience falls flat, you might want to try again later. <\/p>\n \u201cThe progression of AI is truly incredible,\u201d notes Jack Ezon, who runs the travel advisor firm Embark Beyond<\/a>. \u201cWhile it certainly lacks accuracy and acumen, it is light years better than it was 6 months ago, and will certainly be even better in a few years from today.\u201d<\/p>\n The verdict: use AI with caution (but don\u2019t be paranoid)<\/p>\n AI excels at the heavy lifting of travel research but sometimes stumbles on execution details that can make or break a trip.<\/p>\n Perhaps we need a new term for this phenomenon: \u201calgorithmic itinerary fatigue\u201d \u2014 that sameness that creeps in when AI serves everyone the same \u201cbest\u201d restaurants and \u201cmust-see\u201d attractions based on popular search patterns rather than personal preferences. The AI recommends the same attractions, hotels and restaurants, for everyone.<\/p>\n Greg Miller, an AI consultant, is cautiously optimistic. <\/p>\n \u201cAI is a great idea generator and filter,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s not a replacement for a guide or current guidebook. Treat it like a smart intern. Give it a brief. Use its list. Then confirm the details with humans and official data.\u201d<\/p>\n When it comes to AI, skepticism is warranted, but fear is not. The technology represents a tool that could improve your next trip, but it will never replace a guidebook or a human travel agent. <\/p>\n \u201cI think that using AI for recommendations about travel is one of the best uses of AI,\u201d says Derek Leben, who teaches ethics at Carnegie Mellon University. \u201cIt can also reduce a lot of time spent sorting through travel blogs and review platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n AI may be the loudest new voice in travel, but it still doesn\u2019t know you as well as you know yourself. Use it wisely, verify the details religiously, and remember: the best trips often happen when you venture beyond the algorithm\u2019s recommendations.<\/p>\n Christopher Elliott<\/b><\/a> is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded <\/b>Elliott Advocacy,<\/b><\/a> a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes <\/b>Elliott Confidential<\/b><\/a>, a travel newsletter, and the <\/b>Elliott Report<\/b><\/a>, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can <\/b>reach him here<\/b><\/a> or email him at chris@elliott.org.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Orit Ofri thought she could trust AI to give her travel tips for a recent trip to Paris.…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":270451,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[691,738,158,1164,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-270450","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-artificial-intelligence","8":"tag-ai","9":"tag-artificial-intelligence","10":"tag-technology","11":"tag-travel","12":"tag-united-states","13":"tag-unitedstates","14":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115301591706221075","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=270450"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270450\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/270451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=270450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=270450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=270450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}