As AI continues to take jobs away from many hardworking people, it’s important we understand the whole impact and listen to your peers when they share their experiences. I’m no expert on how many gallons of water each ChatGPT request utilizes, or the full scope of the negative impacts of AI on the global environment. I can tell you how it has affected my life as a travel designer. I can give you this opinion piece of mine, and maybe it will cause a bit of self reflection next time you open your chatbot to ask a question you could easily google. Or maybe have you think about who might be able to help you with something, and by chance create more community. In this article, I’ll be using the term AI to mean chat bots and more advanced artificial intelligent technology. I realize that AI is a huge term that encompasses a lot, but I think you know what I mean…
Reason #1-It’s bad for the environment. It wastes a lot of water. The plants are really disruptive. I’m not the expert I’d like to be here because it’s too depressing for me to get into. But it just is.
Reason #2 & 3- I just don’t think it’s worth it yet (if ever). & It’s just don’t think it’s very good. Chat GPT and other AI chat features just aren’t giving that delicious of answers to your questions. They’re pulling from a lot of basic articles, and not taking into account who you actually are and what you’re actually looking for. Sure maybe there are some cues that you’re providing, but it still seems to be making broad sweeping assumptions and throwing everyone into a very large box. Without directly stealing from travel designers, I don’t think it will ever be worth it. You don’t want someone else’s trip anyway!
I haven’t seen much success, specifically with trip planning. For example, every trip I’ve seen AI plan is very very basic. It’s going to send you to Rome during peak season when it’s hot and crowded. It’s going to send you to all the typical sights. Nothing about it is unique even though every trip should be a energetic mirror to who YOU are! Of course, there’s nothing wrong with seeing sights, but is a musician going to be as jazzed about history as a historian? Is a foodie going to be impressed with a basic tourist trap restaurant?
Reason #4- You’re over confident in it! And blindly trusting it. We’ve already become too reliant on technology (don’t get my dad started). But it is true. We need to encourage more brain power, more exploration on our own, and more research in general! How will you ever learn? I mean, I personally learn best when I immerse myself in a new culture, and that’s why I travel. Part of that includes the research and I love it!
Reason #5- You’re taking away a job from a person or friend. The ethical question about AI that comes up a lot (or maybe doesn’t come up enough)… Should AI be creating art? Should AI be taking jobs away from people who WANT and ENJOY those jobs? It’s one thing for robots to clean toilets- be my guest. It’s another for them to be writing scripts and acting on screen and designing someone’s vacation! Maybe you don’t see it as an art, because it may be more of a burden or chore to you. But to me!? It’s my life! I enjoy building a trip from scratch. I enjoy getting to know my friends and clients and creating a magical 10 day experience for them in a place they’ve never been. By using chatbots to plan your trip, you’re taking away an opportunity for me to create something special for you, and you will be missing out on a more unique and tailored experience.
Reason #6- It’s taking away your community. While some technology can be a great asset in keeping community alive (eg: covid pandemic), it’s not always going to be used for that advantage and chatbots are not helping. When you use an app to deliver your groceries, you miss a few human interactions at the grocery store. When you use Waymo (self driving car) instead of lyft to take a ride, you miss a human interaction. Some folks don’t want any more human interactions, and believe me…I get it! But that is a huge problem in itself!!! The less human interactions we have, the further and further we get from each other. We don’t need any more factors driving us away from each other…we have plenty. We all need healing, and healing will really come faster (and stronger) if we have empathy and togetherness. AI is taking that away. I know this is a bit deep for an article telling you to use a travel designer, but it IS more than that to me.
Reason #7- Human influence. Don’t you want to enjoy something that was created by your fellow human? AI just feels so impersonal. I know this is similar to the community reason. Maybe consider starting to expand that reliance on your community to improve the human experience. Ask your friends for hand-me-downs for your kids. Maybe offer a trade between a skill your friend has and a skill you have. I’ll plan your trip if you help me learn to make that incredible dish you served at your party. Trade puzzles! Host a clothing swap! Donate some books to your local little library and pick some up too! Support your local bakery out of their apartment window (down my street every other Saturday). There are just SO many things we can do to build and create community and I believe we’ve been searching for it in all the wrong places (like scrolling social medias and asking chatbots).
All this to say, don’t use chatbots to plan your vacations. You deserve better than that. If you really don’t want to do any of the work yourself, you actually SHOULD be hiring a travel agent to do it for you. And if you do want to be a part of the research, you should also be hiring a travel agent so they can help you design the perfect trip based on your needs and what you enjoy!
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