Exploring Bali with AI

I work as a tour guide in Bali, and recently, I started using AI to help plan trips. This has made my job easier and more efficient. Here’s how AI has helped me and what I’ve learned from using it.

a Balinese woman in front of rice farm of Tegalalang, created with AI.

One of the main ways I use AI is to plan day trip for my clients. For example, if I’m taking a group to Ubud, Tegalalang, Kintamani, and some temples, the AI helps me figure out the travel times and distances between these places. This ensures that our day’s schedule, which usually lasts ten to twelve hours, is practical and enjoyable. Although traffic can sometimes change our travel times, the AI still gives a good basic plan.

Balinese Hindu Temple by the Lake created with AI.

However, the AI isn’t always perfect. Sometimes it gives incorrect information, like the cost of entrance tickets to tourist objects. For instance, it might say that visiting Tegalalang rice farm is free, but I know from experience that the entrance fee is 25,000 rupiah. Despite these errors, the AI’s ability to manage time and schedule activities has been very helpful.

Mount Agung the most sacred mountain created with AI.

Another way AI helps me is by summarizing long travel plans or program assigned by travel agent. When I work with a travel agent, they often give me detailed programs that are, for example, ten pages long. Using AI, I can quickly get a summary of the key points, such as the places to visit and the activities planned for a week-long tour. This saves me a lot of time and helps me prepare better for guiding my clients.

I’ve also tried using AI to create images of Bali. For example, I’ve generated pictures of rice terraces, and they look great. These images give tourists an idea of what Bali looks like, even though they are AI-generated. However, the AI isn’t very good at creating accurate images of Balinese people in traditional dress or religious offerings. These pictures often don’t look quite right and don’t capture the real essence of Balinese culture.

A Balinese girl riding super bike (why not?)

There are a lot of mistakes in this photo, for example, some women wear men's attribute.

Overall, using AI has been very useful in my job as a tour guide. It makes planning easier, helps summarize complex itineraries, and creates visual aids for my presentations. Even with some limitations, AI has become a valuable tool for showcasing the beauty and culture of Bali to visitors.

Note:.AI services used include: chatgpt, bing copilot and leonardo ai.

Thanks for reading.