Tech giant Google recently announced an update to its Search Generative Experience (SGE) program inside the Google Labs Suite. The SGE program is essentially Google’s main push towards AI. Now, it has rolled out an update focused on the travel industry. It could very well change the way that people draw up their itineraries when they go on vacation.
The way that this update was explained, it will work like ChatGPT for travel. Users can tell the AI that they want to build a travel itinerary consisting of x number of days in a particular city. An example that was used recently to showcase the product contemplated a 3-day history-focused visit to the city of Philadelphia. Suppose a person asked the AI to create such a trip. In that case, it might include visiting the Liberty Bell, the Museum of the American Revolution, and maybe stopping at Betsy Ross’ house. There is no word on if the AI thinks the Rocky statue is “historic” enough yet.
Once the AI has developed an initial itinerary, users can continue to adjust it to their liking. For example, you might request that a visit to Geno’s or Pat’s be included. These are two of the most famous Philly cheesesteak spots in the city. If the user is satisfied with the itinerary that the AI has developed, they can export it and save it in their Google Drive. Currently, the feature is only available in U.S. English, and it seems to be in the beta stage. The best way to try out the feature is to sign up for Google Labs updates with a Gmail account.
The Downside to the Use of AI for Travel Itineraries
To this point in the relationship between humans and AI, it’s become relatively clear that it can be a great tool. However, it may not be capable of painting an accurate picture in some cases. When it comes to travel itineraries, relying entirely on AI could lead to missing out on plenty of potential things to do. Although Google is currently the largest holder of information in the world, the way that it arranges that information, in this case, could directly influence travel plans.
Going back to the Philadelphia example, there might be more historically relevant attractions. The traveler will miss out because the AI did not include them on the itinerary. Furthermore, suppose the tool becomes everyone’s go-to travel planner. That will lead to massive crowds at specific spots, with others wondering where all the tourists have gone.
This is not to say that the tool can’t be a valuable asset when planning a trip. It’s now arguably the quickest way to draw up a travel plan. Since the itinerary can be exported to Google Drive, the user can now edit the content directly. Savvy travel planners may be able to leverage this tool to minimize their workloads. They may be walking a fine line, however. Too much reliance on AI can end up making travel planners irrelevant. Journalists and writers want to welcome travel planners to our post-Chat GPT world!
