I asked Instinct to plan 2 trips for me — and it sucked all the joy out of traveling
A user tests an AI travel agent for business and personal trips, finding it efficient for logistics but lacking the human joy of discovery. The agent also committed a significant error regarding flight scheduling, highlighting current limitations in AI reliability.
Why it matters
As AI agents become integrated into daily tasks, their inability to handle complex, nuanced human experiences like travel planning raises questions about their actual utility versus human-led planning.
I felt much more excited planning a vacation to Amsterdam myself than when the agent took nearly an hour figuring it out. Andrey Danilovich/Getty Images I used Instinct's AI agent to plan a work trip and a European vacation. For the work trip, it quickly created a solid itinerary but suggested an impossible flight. When I asked for help with a vacation, it took much longer and sucked out the excitement of travel. Ask around: AI agents are the Next Big Thing. You can give them tasks via iMessage or WhatsApp, and they can search the internet or use software to complete them. It's a bit like having a concierge or assistant who can book restaurants or reply to emails for you. When I used one to plan a trip , I was underwhelmed to say the least. In fact, it had me questioning the point of travel.
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