A “Friday night matinee?” To cite the Gershwins, it ain’t essentially so. However that’s how trendy synthetic intelligence recommended I hit Broadway.
After I was requested to see what A.I. will get proper and flawed about visiting New York Metropolis, I used to be deeply curious and felt nicely certified for the project — I’ve been a resident of Manhattan since 1989, a frequent metropolis tour information for family and friends, and a journalist who has written about know-how (including chatbots) because the Nineteen Nineties.
I sampled a number of A.I.-planner websites with the identical trip request: Create an itinerary for a visit for 2 individuals to New York Metropolis from April 17 to twenty that means an reasonably priced resort (lower than $250 an evening) in the midst of town, a number of iconic landmarks or museums, a matinee efficiency of an award-winning Broadway present and an ideal pizza cease. I requested for instructions for accessible methods to get to every place from the resort, after which made further requests for solutions if youngsters had been coming alongside.
Whereas many of the websites supplied lots of the identical traditional New York spots, just like the Museum of Modern Art, the consumer expertise various. (Notice that each one the sampled websites use OpenAI’s software program indirectly and The Occasions has an lively copyright-infringement lawsuit in opposition to OpenAI.) If you’re new to the world of A.I. journey planners, listed below are a number of which will attraction to sure kinds of human journey planners.
If you’d like a pleasant interface
With its energetic house web page filled with pictures and options, Mindtrip (free) felt like probably the most welcoming A.I. planner for a newcomer. Its preliminary itinerary hit many of the high vacationer stops, just like the Statue of Liberty, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Central Park, with hyperlinks to the websites’ recommended highlights. Mindtrip additionally recommended the Pod 51 hotel on East 51st Avenue (about $303 an evening), which is a superb location, however rooms within the Pod chain intention for “stylish minimalist,” which is probably not for everybody, notably households.
The Good: Manhattan sights tends to dominate the checklist, however Mindtrip recommended going over the Brooklyn Bridge for picture ops and Grimaldi’s Pizza — so factors for attending to a second borough.
The Unhealthy: The schedule for the third day recommended visiting the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building within the morning — after which going to the matinee of “Hamilton.” That appeared unrealistic with timed excursions and journey throughout town, particularly because the Saturday matinee starts at 1 p.m. Swapping the recommended stroll round Rockefeller Center and Times Square from one other day within the itinerary made extra logistical sense.
The Surprising: When requested for a “hidden gem” to go to, it proposed the Tenement Museum, which reveals a century of New York Metropolis historical past by way of the experiences of its immigrants.
For those who require particulars up entrance
Vacay, (free; $10 a month, for premium plan) one other web-based chatbot and planner, had a extra text-heavy however clear interface and recommended a number of of the identical metropolis landmarks with related hyperlinks. For these not sure about the way to ask for data, the location has a useful best practices guide for writing A.I. prompts to get the very best outcomes. Vacay’s premium plan, designed for frequent vacationers, provides extra enhanced A.I. fashions for extra particular suggestions, tech help and recommendation on planning themed holidays.
The Good: Whereas it lacked its personal maps within the chat window, Vacay’s itinerary planner had extra exact recommendation, not simply suggesting Central Park, however recommending Bethesda Terrace and Strawberry Fields inside it. And it additionally named particular bus and subway traces to get to the locations with out requiring a separate request, based mostly on the situation of its recommended Pod 39 resort on East thirty ninth Avenue (about $290 an evening). You possibly can obtain your chat transcripts, even within the free plan.
The Unhealthy: The Vacay bot recommended a “Friday night matinee” of a Broadway present.
The Surprising: The positioning suggested visiting Top of the Rock for metropolis views, which lets you embody the Empire State Constructing in your pictures, so factors for contemplating the skyline-selfie expertise.
If ChatGPT is used for every thing
The favored and pioneering ChatGPT (free; paid plans begin at $20 a month for superior options, like the new Deep Research tool) additionally really useful staying on the Pod 51 resort; the Pod individuals have clearly had an affect on the Bot individuals.
The Good: ChatGPT made wise plans for a number of actions in the identical a part of town, like grouping a morning go to to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island with a day cease on the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
The Unhealthy: ChatGPT additionally recommended a Friday matinee for a number of Broadway exhibits, even though Friday is not a matinee day for any of them. Some predicted strolling instances had been impractical — hoofing it from the theater district to Joe’s Pizza on Carmine Avenue takes for much longer than seven minutes; maybe it actually meant the Joe’s close to Broadway and fortieth Avenue.
The Surprising: A stroll on the High Line and a go to to Chelsea Market popped up as a suggestion. Which come to consider it, can be very good on a spring day.
If a trusted journey web site is important
For those who’d choose to stay with a well-recognized model, 25-year-old Tripadvisor is amongst these providing A.I.-planning assist. To construct a visit, you simply reply a number of questions on what you need to do and Tripadvisor presents a display screen filled with menu decisions. Click on the fascinating choices and the location builds a visit schedule. Among the many resort solutions: the Pod Times Square on West forty second Avenue (round $259 an evening), main me to imagine when you have “reasonably priced resort” in your N.Y.C. request, travelbots will counsel a Pod.
The Good: Tripadvisor had the very best concepts for kids, together with a cease on the Hayden Planetarium and the Wonderland-inspired Alice’s Tea Cup restaurant.
The Unhealthy: The positioning recommended the Alice’s location on the east side of Central Park as an alternative of the one close to the planetarium on the west side.
The Surprising: Tripadvisor, which has an enormous repository of user-generated critiques, switched up a few of the pizza suggestions to incorporate Don Antonio and Capizzi together with the standard John’s and Joe’s stops.
Tripadvisor additionally had probably the most cheerful disclaimer: “A.I. isn’t good, nevertheless it’ll assist you hit the bottom operating.”
Each A.I. travel-planner examined right here (together with others on the market, together with Layla, Wonderplan and the mobile-friendly GuideGeek) warn you that the data you get from them is probably not appropriate. Take this to coronary heart and double-check all of it.
One other tip: For those who’ve by no means used an A.I. journey planner earlier than, remember that asking for every thing in a single large question can result in some muddled responses. Begin with the essential define of the journey, like discovering a resort in a sure space for particular dates, after which ask about native points of interest, transit instructions, restaurant suggestions and different data in subsequent requests to construct out your itinerary.
Whereas A.I. planners are nonetheless principally used for analysis and planning, autonomous A.I. agents like OpenAI’s Operator might quickly be reserving your journeys as nicely, and also you’ll actually need to ensure that itinerary is appropriate.
Observe New York Occasions Journey on Instagram and sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter to get knowledgeable tips about touring smarter and inspiration on your subsequent trip. Dreaming up a future getaway or simply armchair touring? Take a look at our 52 Places to Go in 2025.
