I tried Google’s new trip-planning AI tool, and I’ll never plan my own trip again
Screenshot by Artie Beaty/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysYou can now describe a trip to Google and get a full itinerary.Canvas will visualize your trip, including flights and hotels.Google also unveiled new flight tools. If you’re the type of person who obsesses over every little detail of planning a trip, or you’re the type of person who gets so overwhelmed they can’t plan a trip, Google’s new AI tool might just be what you’re looking for.In a recent blog post, Google revealed how you can use Canvas to plan your next trip, including hotels and flights. Just tell the AI where you’re going, Google says, along with a few details, and you’ll get a fully planned trip.More than just a list of sightsTo try out the new feature, I asked it to build an itinerary for a trip I took last fall — a five-day trip to New York City. I kept my request open-ended: “Help me plan a five-day trip to NYC focusing on historical sites and museums.”Also: I let Google’s new AI tools take on my holiday shopping list – here’s how it wentAfter a few seconds, what I saw surprised me — an itinerary that looked strikingly close to what I had spent hours building last fall, including hotel recommendations. The sights included museums that I did indeed see, like The Met and the MOMA, things to do, like a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, and a handful of restaurants I couldn’t miss. The number one hotel recommendation was the actual one I chose for my last trip. What I found most impressive about the itinerary was that the AI went a step further than just telling me what to see. It recommended a week-long unlimited OMNY card and told me I didn’t need one of the popular sightseeing passes since many historic sites are free to visit. Everything listed included Google reviews and information like hours, admission prices, and other details. More
