Why you’re crazy if you travel without using ChatGPT and this new Google Maps AI feature

Before the age of generative AI, I used to rely on Google search whenever I had to travel. I’d look up information about the neighborhood I was staying in, load public transit sites, and read about local attractions I might want to visit. All of this took quite a while, and I’d end up saving information from my searches so I could revisit it later. That included screenshots, which I’d sometimes forget about.

Now that AI chatbots exist, I simply go to ChatGPT and ask all the questions I have about a new place I’m visiting. The best example is using ChatGPT Deep Research to plan an efficient trip to Tokyo after I attended the marathon.

I say “efficient” because I wanted to see as much as possible while also giving my…