How I turned ChatGPT into my tour guide in Italy
I've tried out ChatGPT a lot since adding it to my repertoire, but my favorite use case so far has been as a tour guide in Italy.
As I stood with my mom under the blistering sun in Rome waiting for our audio tour of the Pantheon to begin, I decided to kill some time with ChatGPT.
"Tell me about the Pantheon in Rome," I said.
The Rise of ChatGPT: How AI is Revolutionizing the Way We Explore the world
As I stood with my mom under the scorching Roman sun, waiting for our audio tour of the Pantheon to begin, I decided to pass the time by asking ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence tool, to regale me with tales of the ancient temple. The AI responded with a plethora of information in bullet points, but I knew I could do better. So, I tweaked my prompt and asked ChatGPT to pretend it was a tour guide, weaving a narrative about the Pantheon that would transport me to a bygone era.
The AI tool responded, "Welcome, chef, to one of Rome's most extraordinary treasures—The Pantheon. As we stand here in front of this architectural marvel, let me take you on a journey back in time, where gods, emperors, and artists aLL intersect in this sacred space."
This experience marked the beginning of our epic seven-city trip in August to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday. Little did we know that I was bringing along a digital companion, ChatGPT, which would become an indispensable part of our journey.
Since its launch in November 2022, OpenAI's ChatGPT has revolutionized the field of artificial intelligence, catapulting the company's valuation to a staggering $157 billion. The generative AI market is predicted to surpass $1 trillion in revenue within a decade. However, for many everyday Internet users, figuring out what to do with ChatGPT can be a daunting task.
I use ChatGPT extensively, asking it to recommend movies, summarize lengthy articles, and even draft contracts. But my favorite use case so far has been as a tour guide in Italy.
As we explored the Pantheon, ChatGPT regaled us with tales of the dome, the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, which has remained unchanged for almost two millennia. It also explained the significance of the Trevi Fountain, the Stadio Olimpico, and the use of truffles in Florence's cuisine.
But ChatGPT wasn't limited to providing factual information. It brought the history and culture of Italy to life, making our experience even more immersive and engaging. For instance, when we visited the Santa Maria sopra Minerva church in Rome, ChatGPT pointed out Michelangelo's Christ the Redeemer, a stunning statue that captures both the humanity and divinity of Christ.
Despite the rise of AI-powered tour guides, human guides are still essential. We used plenty of them across Italy, and they did an excellent job of providing context and insights that technology can't replicate. For example, our tour guide in Vatican City, Amy, did an excellent job of cutting the enormous line to get through security and into the Holy City. She showed us the art throughout the Vatican and prepared us to see the Sistine Chapel.
However, there were numerous moments when we wandered into interesting little corners, alleys, and buildings, and were able to satisfy our curiosity by turning to ChatGPT. Perhaps the best example came when we left the Pantheon and walked across the piazza into Santa Maria sopra Minerva. The church was free to enter, but we knew very little about it. So, I asked ChatGPT, and it provided us with a wealth of information about the church's history and significance.
In conclusion, ChatGPT has revolutionized the way we explore the world, providing us with a digital companion that can provide information, insights, and context. While human guides are still essential, ChatGPT has become an integral part of our travel experiences, allowing us to discover new places and cultures in a more immersive and engaging way.
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