Welcome to the forefront of conversational AI as we explore the fascinating world of AI chatbots in our dedicated blog series. Discover the latest advancements, applications, and strategies that propel the evolution of chatbot technology. From enhancing customer interactions to streamlining business processes, these articles delve into the innovative ways artificial intelligence is shaping the landscape of automated conversational agents. Whether you’re a business owner, developer, or simply intrigued by the future of interactive technology, join us on this journey to unravel the transformative power and endless possibilities of AI chatbots.
Julie Beausoleil poses for a portrait in her home in Ottawa on Nov. 30. The map on the wall has all the places she has travelled scratched off.Keito Newman/The Globe and Mail
Danica Nelson had roughly 12 hours and $300 to explore Hong Kong on a recent layover in Asia. Instead of relying on a rideshare, or maps app alone, she consulted ChatGPT.
As sponsored content is new to generative AI search engines, and may even be downgraded in results, artificial intelligence can offer travellers something traditional search engines often can’t – useful advice for trip planning and budgeting.
Ms. Nelson’s was a tall order. She wanted to find a route that got her from the airport to her hotel in a time crunch, let her hit scenic stops like the Victoria Peak lookout and Temple Street night market, all while staying on budget.
“It did a really good job of looking at the map and saying: ‘Okay, this is step one, this is a good stop; this is step two, we’re slowly inching our way through the city,’” said Ms. Nelson, who was able to stick to her budget and timeline.
Beyond finding cost-effective transport, travellers are using AI to compare insurance quotes, budget for pre-departure necessities and plan travel itineraries to suit different affordability levels.
Ms. Nelson was able to raise her travel insurance coverage from about $344,000 to $1.6-million, while still paying roughly $180 a month by switching to a lesser-known provider pitched by ChatGPT.
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But asking the wrong question has also left travellers denied at borders, sent them down grizzly bear trails without warning and left some catching three flights to a destination they’d thought was a short drive.
These risks are considerable given that nearly half of the 2,072 Canadian travellers surveyed in a Blue Cross travel study released in December used AI to plan trips. And they’re not just using ChatGPT.
Expedia’s generative AI trip-matching chatbot lets users turn videos they see on Instagram into travel itineraries sent via direct messages. A chatbot from Layla AI learns users’ travel preferences to generate customized plans. Mindtrip’s AI bot offers itineraries that look like vision boards, with videos and links to flights and accommodations.
Most share one quality in common. They aren’t trained on sponsored content.
“ChatGPT large language models train themselves on Reddit and user forums,” said Toronto-based Angus McOuat, a partner at McKinsey, where he leads the company’s consumer practice.
In academic studies, AI often didn’t pick up on sponsored ads or even penalize them in terms of the order of results, according to Stephanie Koszyk a leader at Bain & Company’s global retail practice.
But the qualities that give AI its current edge can also backfire.
ChatGPT once pitched Bri Mitchell, a travel blogger and digital creator from Toronto, a scenic hike in Kluane National Park in the Yukon Territories. It didn’t mention it was deep in grizzly country, something she luckily knew having already visited, or suggest any cautionary measures.
Ms. Nelson was rattled when a friend who had mistakenly trusted Google’s AI to search travel requirements for Vietnam was turned away upon arrival, lacking a visa.
A traveller makes their way through Pearson International Airport in Toronto in November, 2022. Artificial intelligence can help travellers plan travel routes, budget for trips and compare insurance quotes.Cole Burston
Rob Brooks, a marketer at travel company On The Beach in Manchester, U.K., has gathered tens of thousands of views on TikTok helping travellers navigate how to use AI for travel planning.
“AI can help you understand why you should make a decision – it shouldn’t make the decision for you,” Mr. Brooks said.
Since bots struggle with live information – dynamic pricing data, restaurant closures or changes to flight routes – and are designed to speak confidently on almost any topic, it can be a recipe for disaster.
“AI might say it’s giving you an exact price with confidence, but that’s almost impossible,” said Mr. Brooks. The tool generally doesn’t have the permissions to scrape many sites in real time, “at least not for now.”
In addition to dodging questions around pricing and hours of operation, good prompts start with clarity about context, said Matthias Keller, chief product officer at travel search engine KAYAK.
He recommends prompts such as: “I really like Rome, but I could also see Barcelona working for this trip – can you help me think it through?”
Adding detailed guidance such as, “I’m going on my first vacation with my new girlfriend” can help, as do details such as: “We really like long hikes and mountain views.”
Compiling top destinations for a six-month solo trip across South America, Ottawa-based Julie Beausoleil found ChatGPT helpful in providing itineraries best suited for a backpacker.
Her initial prompt was: “I want to start in Belize and end in Colombia, this is my general time-frame – please, just tell me all the major cities [to visit] and the general route I should take.”
The tool also helped filter destinations into low- and high-end price buckets, compiling pre-departure expenses and creating an itinerary with estimated costs.
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Mr. Brooks said where AI really shines is with “getting you from a thousand ideas to three good ones quickly.”
For example, you could ask it to compare destinations based on hotel, flight, and beach quality.
Or, you could ask for the pros and cons of visiting Crete or Antalya in Turkey, he said.
Everyone will have a different comfort level in terms of how much they want to share with a machine that uses their personal details for training. But the best results often come down to specifics, said Austin-based Melanie Fish, spokesperson for Expedia Group Brands.
For those open to taking things a step further, Mr. Brooks recommends treating the AI bot like “a life coach who knows holidays.”
His go-to prompt: “Ask me five personal questions about my mindset and my life right now, but none of them should be about holidays; once I’ve answered, decode me and suggest three destinations, and maybe one hotel, that fit my energy and headspace, and explain why.”
The focus, he said, should be on how you want to feel at the end of a holiday, not where it thinks you should go.
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