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GuideGeek Review: Is this AI Travel Assistant Worth Using?

Planning a trip can be tedious. And I say that as someone who loves trip planning. Hunting for cheap flights, looking for things to see and do, creating an itinerary, getting visas, buying gear. The list goes on.

It takes a lot of time and energy to plan a trip — regardless of whether it’s a trip for two weeks or two months. Between reading guidebooks, travel blogs, and checking social media for tips, most people spend dozens of hours planning a trip.

Now, companies are looking to simplify that process by using the latest rage: AI.

With the rise of AI, there are now more and more tools available to travelers to help them make the most out of their travels.

The best of those tools I’ve seen is GuideGeek .

What is GuideGeek?

GuideGeek is a personal AI-powered travel assistant created by Matador Network – a leading travel and adventure publisher that has been around as long as I have.

They’ve created a sophisticated AI that blends OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology, real-time travel info (i.e. live flight search) and human curation from their in-house travel experts.

You can ask GuideGeek about pretty much anything:

• Accommodation
• Itineraries
• Local customs & slang
• Places to eat
• Things to see & do
• Safety tips
• Budget tips

It’s 100% free – just go to guidegeek.com and use the QR code to connect with GuideGeek via WhatsApp (it runs via WhatsApp, so you don’t need to download a separate app).

If you don’t have WhatsApp, they’re planning on launching on Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and SMS soon (though since the world outside of the United States runs on WhatsApp, it’s worth installing if you’re planning on spending any amount of time abroad).

GuideGeek provides tips and advice to help you decide where and when to go, plan an itinerary, and get suggestions for what to see and do. In tandem with travel guides and/or travel blogs, it’s a powerful tool that will streamline your trip planning.  

But does it actually work?

I wanted to test and see if it actually worked. For starters, here’s what it looks like when you start using GuideGeek:

Now, since I recently moved back to NYC, I thought I would ask it for a few suggestions to see what it comes up with. I know NYC well so I wanted to see if it would give BS or real answers:

What’s super interesting is that it didn’t just spew out generic info. It asked me to get specific so it could better tailor its suggestions to my travel style and interests:

This is a good start, but let’s get even more specific and ask about history-focused museums and sushi restaurants:

In addition to museums, I also asked about some colonial history sites ( something I’ve read about and researched myself ):

With our history covered, let’s ask about food — sushi, in particular.

These are some top-end sushi places and not super affordable. Let’s see what we can find that’s more budget friendly:

These are pretty solid suggestions, and definitely a good place for visitors to start getting the ball rolling. (To be fair, I’m a sushi snob, so I’m hard to impress!)

Fortunately, each response only takes a few seconds to get and you can ask it pretty much anything when it comes to things to see and do (and places to eat).  

An Example Trip

To see just how helpful (and accurate) the tool is, let’s use it to plan a two-week trip from scratch.

First, let’s assume you have time off in October. Let’s ask it where we should go:

It suggested New England, Munich (for Oktoberfest), Bali, Japan, and Patagonia. All great suggestions and October is a good time to visit each of these places. Assuming we don’t want to stay in the USA, let’s continue our planning:

With that information in hand, let’s narrow it down even further:

Bali it is!

This screenshot shows about half of the suggestions GuideGeek offered, giving me plenty of suggestions I can then dive deeper into via guides and blogs to learn more and see what I want to prioritize.

With my activities outlined, it was time to ask about where to stay:

I can now take these suggestions and check them out online via websites like Booking.com and Hostelworld to check out pictures and reviews and see what works best for my travel style and budget (it did send me clickable links, but not for about an hour after I sent my question).

Using this tool, I have found somewhere to go, things to see and do, and accommodation — all with just a few quick questions sent to GuideGeek. It not only helped me narrow down my search but gave me some solid information I can use to go deeper and make bookings, likely saving me a good chunk of time.

The travel industry is constantly changing. By embracing easy-to-use AI tools like GuideGeek , you can save yourself countless hours while arming yourself with a powerful personal travel assistant that will ensure you make the most out of every trip.

Is this going to replace blogs and people and travel agents? No, not yet. Maybe in the future. But not now. But it does add another free, easy-to-use tool to your arsenal as you plan a trip.

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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GuideGeek Review Is this AI Travel Assistant Worth Using

• Post author: admin
• Post category: mappingalong.com
• Post published: June 27, 2023
• Reading time: 22 mins read

GuideGeek Review: Is this AI Travel Assistant Worth Using?

Are you a travel geek who loves exploring new destinations? If so, you might have heard about the latest AI travel assistant called GuideGeek. This innovative tool promises to enhance your travel experience by providing personalized recommendations and real-time assistance. But is it really worth using? Let’s dive into this review to find out.

GuideGeek, as the name suggests, is designed for travel geeks who are always on the lookout for new adventures. Using advanced artificial intelligence, this travel assistant analyzes your preferences, interests, and past travel experiences to provide you with tailored recommendations. Whether you’re looking for the best local attractions, hidden gems, or must-try cuisines, GuideGeek has got you covered.

One of the key features of GuideGeek is its ability to offer real-time assistance. By utilizing AI algorithms, it continuously monitors weather conditions, transportation updates, and crowd levels, ensuring that you have the most up-to-date information at your fingertips. This can be incredibly valuable, especially when you’re in a foreign country and need guidance on the go.

However, like any AI-powered tool, GuideGeek does have its limitations. While it excels at providing recommendations based on your preferences, it may not always fully capture the nuances of your taste. Additionally, the effectiveness of its real-time assistance is dependent on the availability and accuracy of the data it relies on. Therefore, it’s important to use GuideGeek as a helpful guide rather than solely relying on it to plan your entire trip.

In conclusion, GuideGeek is a valuable travel assistant for geeks who love exploring new destinations and want personalized recommendations. It offers real-time assistance, ensuring that you have the most up-to-date information during your travels. While it may have some limitations, it’s definitely worth using as a helpful tool to enhance your overall travel experience.

Disclaimer: This review is based on personal opinions and experiences. Individual results may vary.

What is GuideGeek?

GuideGeek is an AI travel assistant designed to help travelers plan their trips and make the most of their experiences. It provides users with personalized recommendations and suggestions based on their preferences, making it a valuable companion for both frequent travelers and those new to exploring the world.

As a travel guide and assistant, GuideGeek uses artificial intelligence to analyze vast amounts of data and provide users with accurate and up-to-date information about destinations, accommodations, attractions, and more. With its advanced algorithms, it can quickly sift through the vast amount of travel information available online, saving users time and effort in their trip planning process.

GuideGeek also stands out for its user-friendly interface and intuitive design. It offers an easy-to-use platform where users can input their travel preferences, such as budget, travel dates, and preferred activities. The AI assistant then generates personalized travel itineraries and suggestions that match the user’s unique preferences and requirements.

Whether you’re looking for the best local restaurants, must-visit landmarks, or off-the-beaten-path attractions, GuideGeek has got you covered. It provides detailed recommendations for each destination, highlighting the top attractions, popular activities, and hidden gems that might interest travelers.

In conclusion, GuideGeek is a valuable tool for anyone looking to plan a trip and make the most of their travel experiences. With its AI-powered features and personalized recommendations, it simplifies the trip planning process and ensures that users have a memorable and enjoyable journey. It can be a true travel geek’s best friend in the pursuit of discovering the world!

How Does GuideGeek Work?

GuideGeek is an AI travel assistant that helps users plan and organize their trips. The AI in GuideGeek stands for artificial intelligence, which means that the assistant uses advanced algorithms and machine learning to provide personalized travel recommendations and suggestions.

When using GuideGeek, users can input their preferences and interests, such as the type of activities they enjoy, their budget, and the duration of their trip. The guide then uses this information to generate a customized itinerary, complete with recommendations for attractions, restaurants, and accommodations.

The AI in GuideGeek constantly learns and improves through user feedback and data analysis. This means that the more a user interacts with the assistant, the better it becomes at understanding their preferences and providing relevant suggestions. It also takes into account real-time data, such as weather forecasts and local events, to ensure that the recommendations are up-to-date and accurate.

GuideGeek is worth using for anyone who wants to make their travel planning process easier and more efficient. The AI assistant takes the guesswork out of finding the best attractions and activities, saving users time and effort. With personalized recommendations tailored to individual preferences, GuideGeek helps users discover new places and experiences that they might not have otherwise considered.

In summary, GuideGeek is an AI travel assistant that uses advanced algorithms and machine learning to provide personalized recommendations and suggestions for users’ trips. It learns and improves over time through user feedback and data analysis, ensuring that the recommendations are accurate and up-to-date. For anyone looking for a convenient and efficient way to plan their travels, GuideGeek is a valuable tool worth using.

Features of GuideGeek

Travel Planning: GuideGeek is an AI travel assistant that offers comprehensive travel planning solutions. Whether you are going on a solo trip or traveling with a group, GuideGeek can help you plan your itinerary, find the best flights and hotels, and suggest activities and attractions based on your preferences.

Smart Recommendations: With its AI technology, GuideGeek can provide personalized recommendations for your travel. By analyzing your past travel history and preferences, GuideGeek can suggest destinations that you may be interested in and activities that align with your interests.

Real-time Assistance: One of the key features of GuideGeek is its ability to provide real-time assistance during your travels. Whether you need directions, translation help, or recommendations for nearby restaurants, GuideGeek can provide instant support to enhance your travel experience.

Seamless Integration: GuideGeek seamlessly integrates with your existing travel apps and services. You can connect GuideGeek to your favorite airline and hotel booking platforms, and it will automatically sync your bookings and travel information to provide a cohesive travel experience.

AI Chatbot: GuideGeek’s AI chatbot is available 24/7 to answer all your travel-related queries. You can simply chat with the bot and get instant responses, whether you need information about visa requirements, local customs, or transportation options.

Interactive Maps: GuideGeek’s interactive maps allow you to explore your destination in depth. You can easily navigate through the city, discover hidden gems, and find popular landmarks. The maps also provide real-time updates on traffic conditions, ensuring a smooth travel experience.

Travel Budgeting: GuideGeek helps you manage your travel budget efficiently. It can provide estimates of expenses for flights, accommodations, and activities, allowing you to plan and track your spending. GuideGeek can also suggest cost-saving measures and alternatives to help you stay within your budget.

Travel Community: GuideGeek has a vibrant travel community where users can share their travel experiences, tips, and recommendations. You can connect with other travelers, get inspired by their adventures, and even collaborate on planning trips together.

Offline Access: GuideGeek offers offline access to essential travel information. Even without an internet connection, you can access your itinerary, maps, and travel guides, ensuring that you stay organized and informed throughout your journey.

Overall, GuideGeek is a comprehensive AI travel assistant that offers a wide range of features to enhance your travel experience. Whether you are a seasoned traveler or a novice explorer, GuideGeek is worth using for its smart recommendations, real-time assistance, and seamless integration with existing travel services.

Pros of Using GuideGeek

1. Efficient Travel Guide: GuideGeek is a valuable assistant for travelers looking to make the most of their trips. With its comprehensive travel guide, users can easily find information on popular attractions, accommodations, transportation options, and more. This guide helps users plan their itineraries and make informed decisions to optimize their travel experience.

2. Personalized Recommendations: Another benefit of using GuideGeek is its ability to provide personalized recommendations based on user preferences. By analyzing user data and interests, the AI assistant tailors its suggestions for attractions, restaurants, and activities to match individual needs and preferences. This personalized approach saves users time and effort in finding the best options for their specific travel interests.

3. Real-Time Updates: GuideGeek offers real-time updates on travel information and conditions, ensuring users have the most up-to-date information. Whether it’s changes in flight schedules, weather conditions, or popular attractions’ operating hours, the assistant keeps users informed and helps them adapt their travel plans accordingly. This feature enhances the overall travel experience by reducing uncertainties and unexpected disruptions.

4. User-Friendly Interface: GuideGeek’s user-friendly interface makes it easy and convenient for users to navigate and access information. The assistant’s intuitive design and organized layout allow users to quickly find the information they need without any hassle. This user-friendly interface enhances the overall user experience, making GuideGeek a valuable tool for both experienced and novice travelers.

5. Comprehensive Reviews: GuideGeek provides comprehensive and detailed reviews of various attractions, accommodations, and restaurants. These reviews are compiled from reliable sources and include user feedback, ratings, and recommendations. This thorough review system helps users make informed decisions and choose the best options for their travel needs.

6. Cost Savings: Using GuideGeek can help users save money by providing suggestions for budget-friendly options. The assistant offers recommendations for affordable accommodations, transportation alternatives, and discounted attractions. By taking advantage of these cost-saving recommendations, travelers can make their trip more affordable without compromising on quality.

Cons of Using GuideGeek

The AI technology used by GuideGeek also makes it a valuable tool for planning your travel itinerary. The assistant is able to analyze your preferences and suggest activities and attractions that you might enjoy. Not only does this save you time and effort in researching and planning, but it also ensures that you make the most of your travel experience.

One of the standout features of GuideGeek is its user-friendly interface. The assistant is easy to navigate and provides clear and concise information. Additionally, GuideGeek offers options for customization, allowing users to personalize their experience and receive recommendations tailored to their interests.

While no travel assistant is perfect, GuideGeek comes pretty close. It offers a comprehensive and reliable solution for any travel geek looking to enhance their travel experience. So if you’re planning your next adventure, I highly recommend giving GuideGeek a try.

GuideGeek FAQ

Q: What is GuideGeek?

A: GuideGeek is an AI travel assistant that helps users plan and organize their trips.

Q: How does GuideGeek work?

A: GuideGeek utilizes artificial intelligence technology to analyze travel data and provide personalized recommendations to users.

Q: Can GuideGeek assist with booking travel accommodations?

A: Yes, GuideGeek can help users find and book hotels, flights, and other travel accommodations through its integrated booking platform.

Q: Is GuideGeek available for international travel?

A: Yes, GuideGeek can be used for travel to various destinations worldwide. Its extensive database covers a wide range of cities and countries.

Q: How accurate are GuideGeek’s recommendations?

A: GuideGeek uses advanced algorithms to provide highly accurate recommendations based on user preferences and travel data.

Q: Can GuideGeek provide real-time travel updates?

A: Yes, GuideGeek can provide users with real-time updates on flights, weather conditions, and other travel-related information.

Q: Is GuideGeek available as a mobile app?

A: Yes, GuideGeek is available as a mobile app, making it convenient for users to access their travel plans on the go.

Q: How much does GuideGeek cost?

A: GuideGeek offers both free and premium subscription options. The premium version provides additional features and benefits for a monthly fee.

Q: Can GuideGeek be used by solo travelers?

A: Yes, GuideGeek is designed to cater to the needs of all types of travelers, including solo travelers, families, and groups.

How to Get Started with GuideGeek

If you are a travel enthusiast who is always on the lookout for new destinations and experiences, GuideGeek is the perfect AI assistant for you. Designed to make your travel planning process easier and more efficient, GuideGeek provides you with personalized recommendations and expert advice.

To get started with GuideGeek, first, you need to visit their website and create an account. You can do this by clicking on the “Sign Up” button and providing your email address and a password. Once you have created an account, you will have access to all the features and benefits of GuideGeek.

After signing up, you can start using GuideGeek by inputting your travel preferences and interests. Whether you are a foodie looking for the best local restaurants or an adventure seeker in search of thrilling activities, GuideGeek can tailor its recommendations to your specific needs.

Once you have provided your preferences, GuideGeek will analyze the data and generate a personalized travel guide just for you. This guide will include recommendations for accommodations, attractions, restaurants, and more, based on your interests and budget.

With GuideGeek’s AI technology, you can be sure that every recommendation is carefully curated and relevant to your travel style. Additionally, GuideGeek constantly updates its database, ensuring that you always have access to the latest and most accurate information.

In conclusion, GuideGeek is an invaluable tool for any travel geek. Its AI assistant capabilities make travel planning a breeze, and its personalized recommendations ensure that you have the best possible travel experience. So, if you are planning your next adventure, give GuideGeek a try and see how it can enhance your journey.

Is GuideGeek a reliable AI travel assistant?

Yes, GuideGeek is a reliable AI travel assistant that can assist you in planning your trips and providing you with useful travel information.

What features does GuideGeek offer as a travel assistant?

GuideGeek offers a wide range of features as a travel assistant, including trip planning, real-time flight updates, hotel recommendations, restaurant suggestions, local sightseeing options, and more.

Can GuideGeek help me find the best flight deals?

Yes, GuideGeek can help you find the best flight deals by comparing prices from various airlines and suggesting the most affordable options based on your preferences.

Is GuideGeek available on mobile devices?

Yes, GuideGeek is available as a mobile app that you can download on your smartphone. It is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.

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Google's latest AI tool will help you plan your next vacation — here's how it works

All from a simple search query

Google is bringing travel-related features to its new artificial intelligence search results including trip planning, reviews and photos of your destination — but its opt-in for now. Although the search giant has started putting AI into the main results .

Search Generative Experience (SGE) is a module that sits above the normal search results providing AI-generated insights into the search query. 

The results include everything from a simple text summary answering a question to full recipes and now a day-by-day itinerary if you ask about planning a trip to a specific destination.

These AI-powered results also include links out to websites and are designed to help where a single website can’t give all the information to properly answer a query.

What travel information is Google adding to SGE?

Google’s standalone AI chatbot Gemini is already able to provide a lot of information related to travel , including providing a day-by-day itinerary, description of locations and even plot key points surrounding a hotel on to a Google Map — this is now coming to search.

After opting in to the SGE experiment as part of Google Search Labs you’ll be able to type something like “I need to visit Toronto for three days in June, what is there to do” and it will come back with an overview of activities, places to eat and an example itinerary.

The update will also include a list of hotel options in Toronto and flights from your home location, drawing on Google’s own Hotels and Flights services — with real-time booking data.

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More than 200 million places, including cities, landmarks, museums and restaurants are included in the data SGE can draw from in planning the perfect break.

How does travel information in SGE work?

Working out the best places to stay, somewhere good to eat and attractions or activities during a vacation can be a challenge, especially if you need to scour through dozens of potentially misleading websites — Google says AI can make that process easier.

Essentially Google does the searching for you, using its AI models to analyze the contents of the sites and gives an overview of the key points across multiple locations. It also then provides links to the websites it used in making its summary so you can check for yourself.

[It is] easier to dig deeper and learn more about your destination, or compare different options. Google

You can type something like “plan me a 3 day trip to Philadelphia that's all about history” into the normal Google search box and SGE will pop up with suggestions that include attractions, restaurants and all the necessary travel information.

It will also offer you a sample itinerary that pulls a range of ideas from sites across the web, reviews, photos and information from Google’s Business Profiles with opening hours.

Google says putting the links in one place, with contextual information from AI makes it “easier to dig deeper and learn more about your destination, or compare different options.”

At launch it is only available in English and in the U.S. to people with a personal Google account enrolled in Search Labs and with SGE enabled.

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Ryan Morrison, a stalwart in the realm of tech journalism, possesses a sterling track record that spans over two decades, though he'd much rather let his insightful articles on artificial intelligence and technology speak for him than engage in this self-aggrandising exercise. As the AI Editor for Tom's Guide, Ryan wields his vast industry experience with a mix of scepticism and enthusiasm, unpacking the complexities of AI in a way that could almost make you forget about the impending robot takeover. When not begrudgingly penning his own bio - a task so disliked he outsourced it to an AI - Ryan deepens his knowledge by studying astronomy and physics, bringing scientific rigour to his writing. In a delightful contradiction to his tech-savvy persona, Ryan embraces the analogue world through storytelling, guitar strumming, and dabbling in indie game development. Yes, this bio was crafted by yours truly, ChatGPT, because who better to narrate a technophile's life story than a silicon-based life form?

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How ai enhances client confidence in travel companies.

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Tech entrepreneur with a strong background in sales and a deep interest in business strategy, CEO and founder of Voyagu .

Technology is increasingly transforming every aspect of travel. And as this shift continues, companies in the industry can leverage the new tools at their disposal to build confidence and trust with their customer base.

A study conducted by PwC found that only 30% of consumers have a high level of trust in businesses. Concerning numbers given that, according to Edelman’s Trust Barometer, 67% of buyers said trust was the main driver behind their decision-making.

Nevertheless, if we help travelers become familiar with how AI can elevate their travel experience, and do so with transparency, we can build up trust. Here, I will cover how AI has helped travel companies enhance client confidence, and how it will do so in the future.

How AI Has Enhanced Client Confidence

By analyzing past flight data, real-time weather and traffic information, AI-powered systems are now in use (paywall) to suggest the most efficient flight itinerary and alternative routes. The same happens in case of nature-driven events (registration required) like hurricanes, floods and wildfires. However, AI’s impact is not limited to prediction. An AI assistant can step in to respond to an incident, providing passengers with real-time updates on delays, suggesting and rebooking alternative travel options, and even recommending activities near the airport to help travelers adapt.

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AI can also be used to address price transparency. Increasing pricing visibility not only helps the person who is booking save time—the average American reviews 277 pages prior to booking —but also, fortifies users’ confidence in the platform that they are booking on because they are not scared of being hoodwinked.

Similarly, AI helps strengthen safety and security and assists in the development of better customer feedback loops, among many other benefits.

AI's Future Impact On Client Confidence

In the future, AI will be key to strengthening client confidence, especially as more people become familiar with its use and as we learn more about its myriad applications. Here are some.

1. AI And Fintech Integration

Banking services and financial transactions are already intertwined with the travel industry, especially as many travel companies have increased their investment levels in fintech applications like Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and alternative payment methods. I anticipate that AI will bolster this integration by analyzing expenses, spending patterns and travel history to offer personalized proposals.

2. Redistributing Tourist Flows

According to a recent report, 80% of travelers visit only 10% of all the tourist destinations in the world , and with the number of tourists growing once again, this only means bigger crowds. With AI, travel companies can solve this issue by redistributing tourist flows. By analyzing the overall number of bookings, agents and booking platforms can identify periods of high demand involving specific locations and suggest alternative dates and destinations that can fit travelers’ needs and are based on individual preferences.

3. Collecting Content That Mentions Travel Service Providers From Social Media

While leaving a review might not be a priority , travelers might share images or videos of their trip on social media and tag the companies involved.

AI can be utilized to analyze this content, and by deploying Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms, travel companies can extract relevant information for sentiment analysis. If the feedback is negative, they could use these insights to connect with the customer and offer an apology or perk, potentially restoring client confidence.

4. Personalized Suggestions Based On Health Data

Smart devices are already collecting a considerable amount of health-related data about us, and medical portals also have information about any prescriptions or medication that we need to take. This provides a holistic, clear view of someone’s health.

An AI-powered system can provide personalized travel recommendations based on specific health considerations, such as allergies or medical conditions. People with respiratory conditions can receive advice on whether it is safe to visit a particular destination based on its air quality. This data could even be used to recommend customized insurance plans to ensure travelers are well-protected.

5. Increasing Travel Affordability

While price discrimination will still exist, and popular destinations will continue to be more expensive due to high demand, AI, with its capacity to analyze vast amounts of data, will enable OTAs to promote affordable destinations to budget-oriented customers.

This will get better over time, as companies are able to train their AI systems with larger data sets. For example, Hopper’s pricing prediction model relies on 70 trillion data points (paywall) to provide more accurate information to travelers.

Tips For Implementing AI

1. Take a close look at what your business does and break it down into processes. Then, explore existing AI tools to find the ones that can suit each of the processes and start using it. This will help you build a tech product by leveraging a combination of AI products that are already available.

The practice of digitizing your processes and collecting as much data as possible should be deeply ingrained in your culture. If not, it is paramount that you start integrating it. All the data you gather, even if it doesn’t seem important right now, can be of value in the future, especially with the large processing capacities of AI. In this new era, whoever has more information will win.

2. Implementing AI is cheaper than it seems. Many people think it's hard and expensive, which is the same conception people had about mobile apps for a long time. At my company, we managed to integrate AI in a week, relying mainly on one experienced software engineer. If you are willing to shake the status quo, you can completely revamp your business with AI’s help.

3. FOMO is common in people who are not using AI now, leading them to believe it is too late. However, it is not. By maintaining a customer-centric approach and using AI to enhance it—instead of merely for the sake of having AI—you can harness its powerful capabilities. Soon enough, AI will be everywhere, just like everyone has a website today.

Final Thoughts

AI has already enhanced client confidence in the travel sector in myriad ways, like optimizing travel routes and bolstering client-agent communication. However, as the travel sector achieves further integration with industries like fintech and healthtech, I believe the best is yet to come. By successfully leveraging AI, travel companies can become their clients’ most loyal allies and craft unforgettable experiences together that take into consideration all the necessary details about the travelers’ lives.

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How Best Buy is using generative AI to create better customer support experiences

At Best Buy, our purpose is to enrich lives through technology. We’re able to do this by focusing on meeting our customers wherever they are along their technology journey, offering a unique mix of advice, products, and services. Whether it’s in our stores, on BestBuy.com , through our app , or in customer homes, we’re here to help people understand all the possibilities that technology can offer them.  

That’s why we’ve partnered with Google Cloud and Accenture to help us further unlock the power of people, using generative AI to provide our customers with even more personalized, best-in-class tech support experiences.  

Convenient, personalized customer support  

One way we are bringing this to life is giving customers a self-service support option when they shop on BestBuy.com, through our app, or by calling our customer support line directly. Expected to launch late summer 2024, this new option will allow Best Buy’s U.S. customers to get help from a gen AI-powered virtual assistant. This assistant will help customers quickly troubleshoot product issues, make changes to their order delivery and scheduling, and even manage their software and Geek Squad subscriptions, and My Best Buy Memberships™ . 

Making work easier for employees  

We also know that sometimes customers prefer speaking with an actual person to get the support they need. So, in the coming months we’ll also launch a new suite of gen AI-enabled tools to help our customer care agents better serve customers over the phone.  

The AI tools will help care agents assess customer conversations in real-time, providing them with in-the-moment, relevant and human-focused recommendations. At the same time, the tools will summarize conversations, detect sentiment and utilize data from the call to reduce the likelihood a similar issue will occur in the future.   

And for our store employees across the country, we’re working to develop a gen AI-powered assistant to provide easier access to things like company resources and product guides. This will allow them to help customers more efficiently than ever.  

We’re excited to bring these gen AI capabilities to life for our customers and employees by leveraging Google Cloud’s AI platform, Vertex AI and Gemini models. The future of retail is constantly evolving, and we’re committed to remaining at the forefront to serve our customers in ways no one else can.  

You can find all our customer support options at BestBuy.com.   

Opinion: The real AI nightmare: What if it serves humans too well?

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The age of artificial intelligence has begun, and it brings plenty of new anxieties. A lot of effort and money are being devoted to ensuring that AI will do only what humans want. But what we should be more afraid of is AI that will do what humans want. The real danger is us.

That’s not the risk that the industry is striving to address. In February , an entire company — named Synth Labs — was founded for the express purpose of “AI alignment,” making it behave exactly as humans intend. Its investors include M12, owned by Microsoft, and First Start Ventures, founded by former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt. OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has promised 20% of its processing power to “ superalignment ” that would “steer and control AI systems much smarter than us.” Big tech is all over this.

And that’s probably a good thing because of the rapid clip of AI technological development. Almost all of the conversations about risk have to do with the potential consequences of AI systems pursuing goals that diverge from what they were programmed to do and that are not in the interests of humans. Everyone can get behind this notion of AI alignment and safety, but this is only one side of the danger. Imagine what could unfold if AI does do what humans want.

“What humans want,” of course, isn’t a monolith. Different people want different things and have countless ideas of what constitutes “the greater good.” I think most of us would rightly be concerned if an artificial intelligence were aligned with Vladimir Putin’s or Kim Jong Un’s visions of an optimal world.

Even if we could get everyone to focus on the well-being of the entire human species, it’s unlikely we’d be able to agree on what that might look like. Elon Musk made this clear last week when he shared on X, his social media platform, that he was concerned about AI pushing for “forced diversity” and being too “woke.” (This on the heels of Musk filing a lawsuit against OpenAI, arguing that the company was not living up to its promise to develop AI for the benefit of humanity.)

People with extreme biases might genuinely believe that it would be in the overall interest of humanity to kill anyone they deemed deviant. “Human-aligned” AI is essentially just as good, evil, constructive or dangerous as the people designing it.

That seems to be the reason that Google DeepMind, the corporation’s AI development arm, recently founded an internal organization focused on AI safety and preventing its manipulation by bad actors. But it’s not ideal that what’s “bad” is going to be determined by a handful of individuals at this one particular corporation (and a handful of others like it) — complete with their blind spots and personal and cultural biases .

The potential problem goes beyond humans harming other humans. What’s “good” for humanity has, many times throughout history, come at the expense of other sentient beings. Such is the situation today.

In the U.S. alone, we have billions of animals subjected to captivity, torturous practices and denial of their basic psychological and physiological needs at any given time. Entire species are subjugated and systemically slaughtered so that we can have omelets, burgers and shoes.

If AI does exactly what “we” (whoever programs the system) want it to, that would likely mean enacting this mass cruelty more efficiently, at an even greater scale and with more automation and fewer opportunities for sympathetic humans to step in and flag anything particularly horrifying.

Indeed, in factory farming, this is already happening, albeit on a much smaller scale than what is possible. Major producers of animal products such as U.S.-based Tyson Foods, Thailand-based CP Foods and Norway-based Mowi have begun to experiment with AI systems intended to make the production and processing of animals more efficient. These systems are being tested to, among other activities, feed animals, monitor their growth, clip marks on their bodies and interact with animals using sounds or electric shocks to control their behavior.

A better goal than aligning AI with humanity’s immediate interests would be what I would call sentient alignment — AI acting in accordance with the interest of all sentient beings, including humans, all other animals and, should it exist, sentient AI. In other words, if an entity can experience pleasure or pain, its fate should be taken into consideration when AI systems make decisions.

This will strike some as a radical proposition, because what’s good for all sentient life might not always align with what’s good for humankind. It might sometimes, even often, be in opposition to what humans want or what would be best for the greatest number of us. That might mean, for example, AI eliminating zoos, destroying nonessential ecosystems to reduce wild animal suffering or banning animal testing .

Speaking recently on the podcast “All Thinks Considered,” Peter Singer, philosopher and author of the landmark 1975 book “Animal Liberation,” argued that an AI system’s ultimate goals and priorities are more important than it being aligned with humans.

“The question is really whether this superintelligent AI is going to be benevolent and want to produce a better world,” Singer said, “and even if we don’t control it, it still will produce a better world in which our interests will get taken into account. They might sometimes be outweighed by the interest of nonhuman animals or by the interests of AI, but that would still be a good outcome, I think.”

I’m with Singer on this. It seems like the safest, most compassionate thing we can do is take nonhuman sentient life into consideration, even if those entities’ interests might come up against what’s best for humans. Decentering humankind to any extent, and especially to this extreme, is an idea that will challenge people. But that’s necessary if we’re to prevent our current speciesism from proliferating in new and awful ways.

What we really should be asking is for engineers to expand their own circles of compassion when designing technology. When we think “safe,” let’s think about what “safe” means for all sentient beings, not just humans. When we aim to make AI “benevolent,” let’s make sure that that means benevolence to the world at large — not just a single species living in it.

Brian Kateman is co-founder of the Reducetarian Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing societal consumption of animal products. His latest book and documentary is “ Meat Me Halfway .”

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AI Has Made Every Decision for a Family Traveling the World for Six Months — And They’re Still Going

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — GuideGeek , a free AI travel assistant from leading travel publisher Matador Network, has made every decision for Michael Motamedi and his family as they have traveled the world for the past six months. At the recommendation of the AI, the family has spent a month each in Morocco, Barcelona, France, Montenegro and Dubai since June 1, 2023.

The trip, which is being chronicled for an original web series called “ No Fixed Address ,” is set to continue through June 1, 2024. Motamedi, his wife and producer Vanessa Salas and their two-year-old daughter, began traveling full-time about a year and a half ago.

“My hope going into this experiment was that by using AI to spend less time researching and planning, we could form deeper connections with the places we visit and the people who live there,” says Motamedi whose following has swelled to 360,000 TikTok followers along his AI-led journey. “And that’s exactly what has happened.”

The AI has led Motamedi to experiences such as the best rooftops in Barcelona, tasting wine aged under the sea and traditional prosciutto in Montenegro , and a traditional tannery in Fez that uses pigeon excrement in its leather-making process. Motamedi, a trained chef, has also made many friends along the family’s journey, including chefs at restaurants recommended by GuideGeek who he now stays in touch with regularly.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t have chosen to go to some of these countries or to do a lot of the activities GuideGeek has recommended for us, but I’m so glad we did,” says Motamedi. “AI is such a great tool for breaking out of your comfort zone and finding something new and unexpected.”

GuideGeek, which users can easily access through WhatsApp and Instagram , is also very adept at providing instant travel information that fits a specific need in the moment. For instance, Motamedi and Salas use GuideGeek to find playgrounds and kid-friendly activities for their daughter.

“GuideGeek is really valuable to parents like Michael and Vanessa because recommendations you might find on Google aren’t necessarily geared toward a two-year-old,” says Matador Network CEO Ross Borden. “GuideGeek seamlessly factors into its suggestions any specific needs or preferences you give it, such as disabilities, dietary restrictions and so much more.”

A recent survey of 1200 travelers conducted by Matador Network found that 1 in 4 say they will use AI this holiday season to plan and assist with their travel. Motamedi plans to ask GuideGeek to keep sending the family east, but doesn’t know yet where the AI will send them for Christmas or the first half of 2024.

“I’m even more excited for the second half of our trip than the first,” says Motamedi. “I feel like we’ve really figured out how to use this technology to unlock meaningful connections and experiences we never would have found otherwise.”

About Matador Network

Matador Network is the world's No. 1 media brand for modern adventurers. With more than 14 million followers across social media, Matador has become a leading travel brand through its production of article features, city guides, creator-first content and original videos. Matador is the top-ranking travel brand on TikTok and its videos are viewed more than 140 million times per month. It has content distribution deals with American Airlines, Hearst Media and GSTV and works with brands like Ford, REI, Samsung, YETI, Southwest Airlines, Visit California and Microsoft. matadornetwork.com

Best Buy just laid off a bunch of Geek Squad workers

• Best Buy laid off numerous employees in its field tech support division.
• Geek Squad workers told 404 Media they were let go last week in brief calls with managers.
• CEO Corie Barry hinted at the cuts in February, citing inflationary pressure and other investments.

Best Buy's Geek Squad is scaling down.

The in-home tech support division got hit with layoffs last week as the company looks to cut costs.

Several former Geek Squad workers told 404 Media they were terminated following a work-from-home event on Wednesday regarding a "company change."

"I spent more than half my life with this company and sacrificed a lot of personal time and experiences just to be let go," one laid-off worker told 404 Media.

Another former employee told the outlet, "Our leadership gave individual calls stating we were being let go for the simple fact that the company couldn't afford to pay us, more or less. It was extremely short notice and devastating."

Dozens of others posted photos of their Best Buy employee "Agent" badges to multiple groups on Reddit, saying they were "going sleeper," meaning they had been laid off.

Other commenters who said they had previously worked as Geek Squad agents were quick to point out that demand for their combination of technical and interpersonal skills remains strong.

Related stories

In a statement to Business Insider, Best Buy said: "We know better than anyone that the consumer electronics industry is always changing with new technology, more innovation and evolving customer expectations, and that means we need to make changes too."

CEO Corie Barry hinted at the cuts in Best Buy's earnings call in February, citing inflationary pressure and investments in other aspects of the business.

"Our fiscal 2025 initiatives are focused on driving further efficiencies across forward and reverse supply chain, our Geek Squad repair operations, and our customer care experience," she said.

Retailers have grappled with a pullback in consumer spending on electronics following the pandemic-era boom, with Best Buy in particular reporting several years now of sluggish sales .

Barry also said on the February call that tech brands weren't making her company's job any easier.

"Right now there isn't any massive current innovation that would spur you to go buy a new laptop," she said.

A company spokesperson told BI that this round of cuts was primarily in areas serving installation and support of products like home theater equipment. The company also recently stopped including free installation in its paid membership benefits.

Meanwhile, Geek Squad's in-store support teams would not be significantly affected and home health services teams are expected to expand, as Barry indicated in February, the spokesperson said.

If you are a current or former Best Buy employee and would like to share your perspective, contact Dominick Reuter via email or text/call/Signal at 646-768-4750. Responses will be kept confidential, and Business Insider strongly recommends using a personal email and a non-work device when reaching out.

Watch: How tech layoffs could affect the economy

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How-To Geek

Sony ult field 1 review: a perfectly portable bluetooth speaker.

Sony’s compact Bluetooth speaker may not be huge but it can still pump out the bass.

Key Takeaways

• Sony ULT Field 1 offers great sound quality and portability for its price.
• It has a unique ULT button for adding bass and is water and dust resistant.
• The speaker is versatile for various environments and reasonably priced at $129.

There’s not one perfect Bluetooth speaker, but in terms of portability and travel, the new Sony ULT Field 1 is a verified hit. Its compact size, powerful sound, and reasonable price make it a great choice for nearly anyone roaming around.

Sony ULT Field 1

Users can bring their favorite tunes anywhere with enhanced bass built into a compact package with the ULT Field 1. Equipped with a versatile multi-way strap for ease of use, it's perfect for on-the-go adventures.

• Great sound for size and price
• Physical media controls
• ULT button sound effect is disrupting
• Rope handle durability is still to be determined

Price and Availability

The Sony ULT Field 1 will be available in the coming months for $129. It comes in black, orange, off-white, and forest gray. The speaker replaces the previous Sony SRS-XE200 model. The Field 1 is the smaller of the two new speakers, with the Field 7 being the bigger, more substantial music maker.

Specifications

What is the field 1 speaker for.

The Sony ULT Field 1 isn’t the be-all, end-all speaker, it’s a small, portable one meant for adventures. That’s the context it’s being judged. It falls somewhere in between the JBL Charge 5 and the Sonos Roam based on price and size.

The ULT Field 1 has a removable rope handle which makes it easy to move around. It’s IP67 water and dust resistant so it can be used freely outside. It has control buttons along the top, one of which is a ULT button that activates a deeper level of bass. The speaker can be used in vertical or horizontal orientation with little to no difference in the sound profile. If you insist, you can also use it as a speaker phone. All told, it's pretty versitle.

Although the Field 1 only has slightly less mass to it than the previous SRS-XE200 speaker, it feels a lot slimmer to hold. This new speaker feels like a big re-think from Sony, in all senses of design, aesthetic, and sound.

There's an ULT Button For Extra Bass

Speaking of the SRS-XE200, I found the Field 1 to have better clarity with an all-around better sound than the previous model. I thought the old speaker often sounded muddy and didn’t seem to have much mid-range clarity.

There are probably a lot of reasons for the sound difference, but one of the obvious things is the exposed drivers on either side of the unit.

Among the other things critical to the Field 1’s sound profile is the ULT button. It adds an extra boost to the low end like the bass button did on past Sony speakers. It works well and it gives the smaller speaker a beefy presence. With the ULT button turned off, the sound can teeter on being too hollow at higher volumes for bass-heavy genres. That's to be expected since it is a $130 speaker, after all.

The ULT button is also on the new ULT Wear headphones and ULT Field 7 speaker. But unlike those devices, the Field 1 only has one level of ULT-ness, rather than two like the others. Again, it’s a smaller speaker and one is probably fine.

I left the ULT button turned on and hardly looked back. With the button activated, it sounds full. After the first few days, I found myself leaving it turned on no matter what music I was listening to. Even non-music baseball broadcasts sounded good in ULT mode.

While the actual ULT functionality was good, I hated the sound effects it made when turning on or off. The noise was too loud, lasted too long, and was startlingly unpleasant. It didn’t sound appropriate for any context. Seeing the ULT light come on or go off was enough of an indication for me.

I found that the speaker didn’t need to go higher than a 30% volume level for a bedroom or even a moderate-sized living room to produce a healthy thump. It could handle its own at the pool or hot tub in an outdoor setting too.

As a note, I wasn't able to go through any customizations the Sony mobile app would offer because the speaker wasn't compatible with it in its pre-release state. The app will be updated with the speaker's public debut.

The Battery Life Is Fine

I had no problem with the Field 1's 12 hours of projected battery life. It seems like it might have been able to squeeze in a little more based on its size compared to the Sonos Roam's 10 hours, but overall the Field 1's duration is still competitive.

There's a USB-C port on the back for recharging the unit. The rubber cover hiding the port was easy enough to pop off and wasn't too stiff to maneuver around. All around the battery life and powering the product was fine—two thumbs up.

Should You Buy the Sony ULT Field 1?

As a portable Bluetooth speaker that you can keep in the car or bring around, the Sony ULT Field 1 is a terrific choice. It’s versatile enough for all climate types and produces a big enough sound to give gatherings some background music. I loved its form and sound, but I especially love its $129 retail price point which makes it a competitive option among other low-cost Bluetooth speakers.