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Greg Bruce is a senior multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald who has reported extensively from the front lines of the generative AI revolution. OPINION A few weeks ago, I received an email about the launch of Booking.com’s AI Trip Planner, which was described as “a new conversational experience to help improve the holiday planning experience for Kiwi travellers”.

As someone who has been an early and enthusiastic adopter of AI, and believes it is basically magic, I had high hopes for this app. So it was with some sadness and disappointment that I read its response to my request for a three-day itinerary for my home city. It read less like the product of one of humanity’s greatest technological achievements and more like the half-assed thoughts of an American tourist who came here once, 20 years ago, and spent most of their time in their hotel room, reading the free magazine they got at the airport.



It suggested I visit the following, in order: Sky Tower, art gallery, domain, museum, Waiheke, viaduct, harbour bridge and Devonport. I have nothing against any of these places , which are of course all nice in their own ways, but I was hoping to be inspired and excited by the AI’s output, not dropped directly into the soulless maw of Big Tourism. I have used generative AI often enough to know it sometimes needs to be pushed to produce its best work, so I followed up by requesting a 21-day itinerary, figuring that would ensure I received at least a few hidden ge.

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