AI-Generated Travel Blog Sends Tourists Flocking To Hot Springs That Don't Exist

Someday, AI might take all of our jobs. But today is not that day.

That much became painfully and hilariously clear after hordes of hopeful tourists flocked to rural Tasmania in search of a serene set of hot springs that, unfortunately, do not exist.

The confusion stemmed from a now-deleted blog post published by Tasmania Tours, an Australian travel website. In the article, AI-generated content confidently ranked the "Weldborough Hot Springs" among the best natural hot springs in Australia, describing it as a "secluded forest retreat."

"Its reputation as a tranquil haven has made it a favorite among local hiking groups, wellness retreat organizers and anyone wanting to experience one of the more untouched hot springs Tasmania has to offer," the now-deleted blog post claimed.

These Yellowstone hot springs actually do exist.

(Getty Images)

The problem? Weldborough Hot Springs are entirely imaginary. The only water source nearby is the Weld River, which is, by all accounts, freezing cold and definitely not a hot spring.

Still, the convincing post and stunning AI-generated images were enough to send travelers pouring into the tiny, remote town in northeast Tasmania. And when visitors couldn't find the hot springs, they all ended up at the local pub. As one does.

But not before booking reservations at the Weldborough Hotel.

"It was only a couple of calls to start with," hotel owner Kristy Probert told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). "But then people began turning up in droves."

Probert said she was receiving "probably five phone calls a day, and at least two to three people arriving at the hotel looking for them."

"We’re in a very remote location, so it was very random," she added.

Determined to make the best of the situation, Probert began making visitors an offer: "If you can find these hot springs, beers are on me."

Tasmania Travel Blog Relies On AI Content

Eventually, the mystery was solved. In a Facebook post on Jan. 21, the Weldborough Hotel announced that the blog post had been generated using AI by a third-party contractor while the site's owner was out of the country.

"Our AI has messed up completely," the website's owner Scott Hennessy said.

Hennessy explained that his company outsources some content creation because "we don't have enough horsepower to write enough content on our own."

"Sometimes it’s perfect and really good and does what you hope it would do, and sometimes it gets it completely wrong," he said. "I’ve seen it create animals I’ve never seen before — three-legged wombat, crocodile-looking things."

All AI-generated posts have since been taken down, and Hennessy stressed that the company is legitimate and "not a scam."

As for Weldborough? You won't find any hot springs there. I hear the pub is solid, though.

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