Could artificial intelligence really plan your entire holiday in just a few minutes?
This past month, Expedia brought that possibility one step closer.
And that got me thinking.
I’ve lived in London for more than 20 years so to put the future of travel to the test,
I’ll not only become a tourist in my city, but, give all control to artificial intelligence.
It will decide and organise what attractions I see, where I eat, what I eat, even what
shops to browse.
In short, I will not be making a single decision myself.
And then, I will actually live out that day, both while assessing how close we are to robots
taking over, but also sharing some of London do’s and don’t as a tourist.
In the end though, what started as a fun experiment, really turns into a surprising result and
definitely not in the way you’re thinking.
Normally this channel makes travel movies and guides from around the world, but this
time, it’s Suitcase Monkey being guided.
This is AI on what you should do with your first day in London.
For those unaware, artificial intelligence essentially refers to a machine thinking and
behaving in a human-like manner.
In the last 10 years, think Siri or Alexa.
But it was the arrival of Chat GPT, developed by OpenAI in November 22, that really took
things to the next level.
So, after confirmation of being human, I tentatively asked, what felt like a simple opening question.
And then, this happened…
…And there it was!
A full days London itinerary in 20 seconds.
Now, what sets this aside from a fixed google result, is you can poke Chat GPT further,
tweaking, or probing more, exactly as you might with a Concierge in your hotel.
It’s an artificially intelligent free flowing conversation.
So I asked some follow ups…
When does Westminster Abbey open and how much is it?
Where’s the best spot for watching the changing of the guards
How much do you think is a good amount to donate at the British Museum?
Any streets around Covent Garden I should check out?
What fish and chips restaurant would you suggest?
With all my research complete in around 5 minutes, I was done.
And ready for my first day in London…
My day started at 9am, with a walk around the worlds greatest clock and the Houses of
Parliament.
Throughout this video, keep an eye on the top right of your screen.
When this icon is present, it means that part of my narration you’re hearing has been
entirely written, by Chat GPT, and when it’s not there, then I’m sorry, that means it’s
just me.
So for now, let’s live in the moment…
“The Houses of Parliament, also known as the Palace of Westminster, dates back to the
11th century, but most of what is seen today was constructed in the 19th century after
a devastating fire in 1834.”
I cannot imagine any first time trip to London not including this iconic landmark, and it
is a great place to start.
So then, doing as I was told, I next admired the views of parliament from across the Thames,
which as you can plainly see, are where you’ll find the most stunning photos…
Looking back to my itinerary, next up, is Westminster Abbey.
Which is right next to Big Ben, where I just was.
So, I casually strolled back, across the river.
Due to my earlier chat, I knew the Abbey opened at 9:30 and I was warned there might be queues,
but I still wasn’t prepared for this mother of all lines…
Online tickets were already sold out when I checked 2 days ago, and my next item, the
Changing of the guards, started in just 90 minutes.
For a moment, I second guessed whether I should even join the line…
But, fortunately, it only took 30 minutes and I was in.
If you are planning on visiting, something I did learn here, is that even if I had booked
a ticket, I still would’ve joined the exact same queue and waited the exact same time;
it didn’t mean I would’ve skip the line.
So this was a small but important detail that AI didn’t properly communicate, I guess
as it’s a pretty nuanced understanding of the entry system.
“Westminster Abbey was founded over a thousand years ago and has been the site of coronations,
royal weddings, and funerals.
The abbey's stunning Gothic architecture, intricate carvings, and beautiful stained-glass
windows” did make for a safe follow up to Big Ben.
For me, it was interesting to see the famous 700 year old Coronation Chair in person, but
the £27 entry isn’t cheap, especially as St Pauls is £20, which is another comparable
option.
After rushing through the Abbey in 40 minutes, I was leaving at the time I should’ve been
arriving for the changing of the guards.
This schedule hiccup was most likely unaccounted for because of the unexpected wait to get
into Westminster Abbey.
During my planning chat for the changing of the guards though, I had repeatably been warned
of the crowds and arriving early, and in this sense, it was bang on.
Wow, there were a lot of people here.
But based on this volume, I’d assume you’d need to be getting here at least an hour or
more for it to make any meaningful difference at grabbing a front row spot, especially in
front of the palace.
The ceremony officially starts behind the palace gates at 11 but from my vantage point,
it wasn’t until 11:28, that I actually saw anything.
I had asked where was best to watch from and although these were fine answers in general,
by the time I arrived, it was hard to navigate anywhere due to the amount of people, so I
just kinda got stuck in the only area I had space.
Using my human brain, I actually visited the changing of the guards on a subsequent day
to test a better alternative that only takes up about 20 minutes of your time.
In short, start on the Mall, specifically where Marlborough Road connects and wait there.
Around 10:40, due to less people and more space, you’ll be able to walk with the guards,
for about a minute.
Then just before you get to the crazy crowds of Buckingham Palace, turn into St James’
Park and end up opposite Sullivans Plaque at the Wellington Barracks.
From here, around 10:53, you’ll then see another group or guards which you can follow
back to Buckingham Palace.
Prior to arriving, I really pushed Chat GPT for a best viewing experience as I knew there’d
be a smarter way than just getting there really early but I never got this answer, just a
general, non specific response.
But back to our present day, so far, in summary, we’d started with Parliament, and followed
up with Royalty; yes, 2 things that made a lot more sense 400 years ago, but, in terms
of actually planning my trip, I’d give Chat GPT so far was an okay 6/10 so far.
But, fortunately for me, the best was yet to come.
“Borough Market is a food lover's paradise that’s been around for over 1,000 years
and is famous for its incredible selection of fresh, local and international cuisine.”
It can get really busy around lunch time and the weekends, so if possible, try to visit
outside those hours.
If you’d like to hear more suggestions, I’ve made a top 10 London markets video,
which I’ll link for you at the end.
Since I’ve been here so many times, I was curious how successful Chat GPT might be at
some specific food recommendations.
And I was presented with a varied and reliable list of 5 good options.
But, it was the promise of the “best grilled cheese sandwich in London” from Kappacasein
Dairy that ultimately won me over.
For £8 you get a no nonsense but super effective grilled cheese sandwich, which I can confirm,
went down a treat.
For dessert, if you are partial to some dough with a hole in it, then I’d suggest, a Doughnut.
Bread Ahead is somewhere I’ve visited numerous time before and never without success, or,
without food on my face.
So overall, I think this portion equates to a pretty solid 8/10 for an AI inspired lunch.
Things were looking up for the robots.
“The British Museum is one of the most famous and visited museums in the world.
Founded in 1753, it’s known for its vast and diverse collection of over 8 million objects”
some of which might be stolen.
Despite all these artefacts, it is the impressive Great Court that immediately steals the show.
With “over 3,312 glass panels, all individually cut and fitted,” it really is something
to behold and again, a pretty solid choice to visit.
I’d go as far as saying that a museum of some sort should be on everyones London list,
and as if by chance, I’ve also made a complete video guide to Londons best, which I’ll
share now and at the end.
Now, you can easily spend all day at the British Museum and still not see everything but there
are a bunch of must see exhibits if you’re short on time.
First up, The Rosetta Stone; which “provided the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs,
2nd: The Egyptian mummies, offering a rare glimpse into the beliefs, rituals, and daily
life of one of the world's oldest civilisations and finally; There’s The Parthenon Sculptures.
An unparalleled artistic masterpiece and a significant representation of Ancient Greek
culture and history.”
So as you can imagine, by this point, I was feeling pretty cultured up, so what better
follow up, than a spot of shopping.
And once again, Chat GPT was on a roll.
Covent Garden is probably my preferred neighbourhood for window shopping, actual shopping and entertainment.
And I don’t just mean the Covent Garden plaza itself.
It pretty much nailed all the surrounding streets I would normally suggest for independent
boutiques…
When I asked which specific shops to visit, it highlighted one of Chat GPTs biggest setbacks.
That being that most of its information cuts off at September 2021.
Whereas this doesn’t massively affect a largely timeless city like London, it does
mean it’ll occasionally present you with out of date information, such as shops that
have since permanently closed.
Out of the shops I visited though, the best surprise, was Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop,
somewhere I must’ve passed a hundred times before but never properly registered.
“It’s actually been in business for over 100 years, selling a range of puppets, marionettes
and both vintage and modern toys,” and is well worth a look-in for something unique…
Before leaving Covent Garden for dinner, I did have one more stop on my list which, as
it would turn out, totally changed my perspective on todays whole experiment.
And that was a visit to the Royal Opera House.
Now, I have little personal interest in ballet or opera so even though I knew it was there,
I’ve never thought to go inside.
But, after navigating my way upstairs, I was amazed to find this: A totally free to visit,
relatively quiet, rooftop cafe bar…
I’ve since done some research and this place has been open for at least 10 years and, it
seems, nobody knows about.
To have this many empty seats available at a peaceful rooftop location, with drinks,
in central London, is literally unheard of and this has since become my go-to spot for
a coffee when I’m in the area.
A nice little unexpected find pushing our AI afternoon to a strong 9/10…
For dinner, I had yet another first and that was, being in a London sit down restaurant,
and ordering fish and chips.
Now, that may sound slightly odd to some of you, but it’s typically more of a takeaway
thing.
But even with these tourist prices starting at £20 for fish, chips and tartar sauce,
it was still an enjoyable meal.
And, being from the North
I of course added the mushy peas and curry sauce add on, which is almost the law.
So whilst chomping on my British fish and chips, reflecting on a day I never would have
organised for myself, it was at this moment I realised an unexpected potential with using
AI for travel, at least in your home town: That if you do give it a try, there’s a
decent chance, it will present something new for you, something that’s been under your
nose for years, something you didn’t know existed or wouldn’t normally have tried.
And for that reason alone, I think this experiment was a positive success.
Overall Chat GPT did a really good job, and its main weakness was in some of the nuanced
practical details, which in reality you could plug in the gaps using your own human intuition.
But it was the minimal effort on my side that was fun, especially in allowing yourself to
be taken anywhere.
And remember, this technology is still in its infancy.
So I think it’s a pretty safe bet that AI will become as much of a resource for travel
as a Google search is today.
So if you’re watching this and wondering for yourself, maybe give it a try for your
local city and let me know what happens.
Maybe we can even start an online movement of random, unexpected exploration and we can
call it…
Errrm…
We can call it…
Know your City AI!
Well, I guess it’s better than what I had.