An example of a video generated by Meta's new text-to-video AI model, Make-A-Video. The text prompt used to create the video was "a teddy bear painting a portrait." Image: Meta
A recent incident involving a travel blog created with the help of artificial intelligence led to disappointment among travelers when it turned out that the "peaceful" hot springs recommended there in northern Tasmania do not exist.
Screenshots obtained by CNN from the Tasmania Tours website contain information about the "Weldborough hot springs," which promised a "peaceful retreat" in the forests of northeastern Tasmania. This place was described as a "quiet paradise," popular among tourists.
Weldborough is a small town located about 110 kilometers (68 miles) from Launceston.
Earlier this month, Scott Hennessey, the owner of Australian Tours and Cruises, which operates Tasmania Tours and is based in New South Wales, admitted in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that "our artificial intelligence completely let us down."
He explained that the marketing materials were developed by a third-party organization, and although he usually checks every post, this blog was published in his absence.
"We are trying to compete with large companies," Hennessey noted in the ABC interview. "This requires constant updating and refreshing of content."
He added: "We are not fraudsters. We are a small married couple trying to do everything right... We work honestly, we have real employees."
Representatives of Australian Tours and Cruises expressed their dissatisfaction in a conversation with CNN regarding the "negative reaction online and the damage to our business's reputation," emphasizing that "this is absolutely intolerable."
"We just want to move on and leave this behind," the company added.
Tourists are "arriving in droves."
Kristi Probert, the owner of the Weldborough Hotel, shared with CNN that she was surprised when tourists began contacting her in September with questions about the hot springs.
"At first, there were just a few calls," Probert said. "But soon people started coming in large numbers. I was probably getting five calls a day, and at least two or three people were coming to the hotel looking for these springs. We are in a very remote location, so it was a complete surprise."
She added that she would respond each time, "If you find these hot springs, the beer is on me."
"The Weld River is icy," Probert noted, clarifying that usually only prospectors looking for sapphires and tin are in it. "They wear wetsuits," she added. "There is a sauna in the nearby town. I think after visiting that place, one could jump into the cold river."
Beware of AI "hallucinations."
Ann Hardy, an adjunct professor of tourism at Southern Cross University in Australia, told CNN that the use of artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly common in the travel sector, noting that about 37% of tourists turn to AI for travel planning advice.
"Tourists trust AI more than review websites," she added, emphasizing that operators use AI not only for blogging but also for creating itineraries and calculating costs.
"Artificial intelligence can be very useful," Hardy noted. "It saves time and money."
However, she warned of potential inaccuracies or "hallucinations," as in the case of the "hot springs" in Weldborough.
Hardy mentioned that empirical research has found that "90% of AI-generated itineraries contain errors."
These errors can have "very serious consequences," especially when it comes to remote hiking trails in Tasmania, where there is no service or cell phone coverage.
"I have seen many cases where AI suggested routes for day hikes that turned out to be extremely inaccurate, from the length of the route and level of difficulty to weather conditions," she told CNN.
Hardy advises travelers not to rely solely on AI and to conduct their own research.
"Use trusted guides, travel agencies, and review websites," she recommended. "Also, don't hesitate to ask concierges and hosts about the accuracy of the routes suggested by AI if you decide to use them."
Probert added that she feels sorry for the owners of Tasmania Tours, with whom she spoke on the phone.
"In small business, it is difficult to constantly update and maintain the relevance of information," she noted. "They seem like wonderful people, and we all make mistakes. I think it was quite amusing."
"There is plenty to do in Weldborough," she assured visitors. "Just no hot springs."
