While a lot of people may, and I myself definitely often have, argue that going on vacation is nothing but a way to escape reality and relax, there are always some aspects that you cannot avoid confronting. From chaotically going about your packing list, to secretly wanting to still stay a little fit and get exercise in despite the contradiction this may have to getting time to ‘relax’, generative AI tools can help in more places than I ever imagined before.
I am sure many of you have found yourself in a situation where you simply forgot, sometimes even the most essential or obvious, parts of your packing list. Some may also have been too optimistic in terms of predicted weather conditions in the upcoming destination, ending up cold and annoyed with themselves. I definitely have. By using PackPoint and providing my length of stay, destination, date of travel, type of trip, and pinpointing all the activities I plan on engaging in, a clear list is generated to help avoid unprepared situations. I used to make all of my packing lists myself in my Notes, simply writing down anything that came to mind, first looking into my weather app to try to predict the layers I would need, and afterwards writing down how many different evening outfits I would need, randomly throwing in some activity-prone sets, and simply overpacking with too many irrelevant items and oversized luggage. Last-minute packing stress now no longer goes at the expense of preparation and I hence experience this tool as a go-to for such cases.
On another note, once arriving at my vacation destination, prepared (thanks to PackPoint) with some workout clothes, another convenience has come about due to GenerativeAI: FitGPT. Despite my preference in following workout classes to minimize the need to inspire myself with exercises and to motivate myself to actually go because of ‘cancellation fees’, I have to let go of this convenience when away from home. That’s where FitGPT jumps in, an “AI powered fitness coach that generates personalized workout schedules […] [with] its ability to tailor fitness programs around individual user data” (Marr, B. 2024). The tool generates workouts that exactly focus on what I want to train, by inquiring what my current fitness level is, what equipment I have access to, how much time I have, and what goal I want to focus on. I am no longer dependent upon a physical coach to lead the way or on equipment to accommodate my workout activity. The excuse for not being able to work out really no longer holds, and though sometimes I would love to still be able to hold on to that excuse, I definitely realize the value such a GenAI tool brings.
I do wonder what such a tool can mean for the personal coaching and classes industry. Other than the personal interaction that is involved in in-person training, all other aspects seem to be replaced by this tool. Platforms such as ClassPass and OneFit may fear the sustainability of some of their gym-related partners, as personal training and (little-no equipment required) class-participation is very costly compared to the usage of such an app. Nevertheless, I still only affiliate to using such a tool when on vacation or away from home, as I do value the physical interaction which comes along with workout classes. In order to bridge this gap, the FitGPT tool could incorporate motivational conversational GenAI to try to substitute for in-person motivation and to guide app-users more along the workout, rather than only focussing on guiding the preparatory phase of a workout.
These are just some examples of easy-to-use GenAI tools that I have encountered and which bring convenience to vacation-goers, the boundaries seem to continue to expand to much greater depth: as AI generates traveler itineraries and provides recommendations for routes and activities which grasp the full potential of a trip. As Scot Hornick exclaims; “I think generative AI will become almost a de facto standard for how [some travelrs] think about their travel plans and how they even dream about their vacations.”
Sources:
Hines, M. (2023, November 10). oliver wyman data genai travelers attitude. https://www.phocuswire.com/oliver-wyman-data-genai-travelers-attitude
FitGPT – your AI-Powered Fitness Coach. (n.d.). FitGPT – Your AI-Powered Fitness Coach. https://www.fitgpt.xyz/
PackPoint travel packing list app. (n.d.). PackPoint Travel Packing List App. https://www.packpnt.com/
Marr, B. (2024, August 13). 19 Amazing Generative AI tools for everyday tasks and activities. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2024/08/12/19-amazing-generative-ai-tools-for-everyday-tasks-and-activities/
