An AI-generated blog on a tour company’s website has landed tourists in hot water — and not the kind they were looking for — after it emerged the “tranquil” northern Tasmania hot springs it recommended don’t actually exist.
Screenshots shared with CNN of the now-deleted blog on Tasmania Tours’ website show recommendations for “Weldborough Hot Springs,” said to offer “a peaceful escape” in the forests of northeast Tasmania. Described as a “tranquil haven,” the site was touted as a “favourite” among hikers.
Weldborough is a small rural town about 110 kilometers (68 miles) from the city of Launceston.
Scott Hennessey, the owner of the New South Wales-based Australian Tours and Cruises, which operates Tasmania Tours, told the Australian Broadcasting Network (ABC) earlier this month that “our AI has messed up completely.”
The company had outsourced its marketing material to a third party, he said, and, while he normally reviews each post, the blog was published while he was out of the country.
“We’re trying to compete with the big boys,” Hennessy told ABC. “Part of that is you’ve got to keep your content refreshed and new all of the time.”
“We’re not a scam,” he continued. “We’re a married couple trying to do the right thing by people … We are legit, we are real people, we employ sales staff.”
Australian Tours and Cruises told CNN Tuesday that “the online hate and damage to our business reputation has been absolutely soul-destroying.”
“We are just trying to get on with our lives and put the whole thing behind us,” the company continued.
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