Google is a very useful search tool when looking up travel information, ranging from visa requirements, flight information, and frequent flyer related data, but it has also gotten quite deceptive, as now there is an AI-generated summary sticking on top of every search result.
The problem is that this summary (just like info given by chatGPT etc) almost always contains inaccuracies and downright errors, which can result in real problems if people take it at face value rather than verifying the data with the relevant sources.
We frequently get emails from people who are at a travel-related dead end. In recent times, the story often starts with the reader completing a Google search and relying on the AI sticky rather than searching further down in detail.
These AI generated summaries are just skimming over the content of a website and then summarize it but that’s in no way perfect, far from it. In fact you take a considerable risk if you take this information as gospel rather then checking original sources yourself.
One of our readers recently wrote to me saying he was stranded at the airport after a prior Google search for Visa requirements to China told him (in the AI description) he wouldn’t need a visa anymore, but that was incorrect, and so he was denied check-in by the airline.
I personally saw a similar issue with summaries about entry requirements for Vietnam and Thailand.
In fact, rarely is anything summarized by the Google AI sticky correct, and it really shouldn’t be placed at the top of each page without a clear warning that this information doesn’t guarantee authenticity.
The best way, although not the easiest, is always to research important things like entry requirements based on original sources such as Embassy websites or your own country’s foreign ministry profiles for individual destinations.
Similar problems exist for information concerning frequent flyer programs, points transferability, airport minimum connection time, credit card acceptance, and the list goes on.
Simply said, AI isn’t faultless – at least not yet – and always remember that just because you’re being displayed a certain information by Google, ChatGPT etc doesn’t mean it’s correct and – in the worst case – they most certainly won’t make you whole if said incorrect data causes actual damages because someone relied on it.
Conclusion
I’d like to remind our readers that using Google, Chat GPT, or any other services to search for travel-related information often comes with pitfalls, as these systems often don’t summarize websites and secondary sources accurately.
We all want easy access to information, but we shouldn’t always rely on the first thing that’s being shown to us, especially not without verification.
You still have to do your own legwork to make sure that your travels go smoothly. Third-party information is not always reliable, and you should always go to the source for the most up-to-date information.
Every day, people run into trouble with visa issues and other travel-related mishaps because they rely on the first thing they read on the Internet. Even the most advanced search engines and AI platforms don’t guarantee 100% accurate answers.
