Promoted as an unmissable destination and a favorite among hiking enthusiasts, it was, in fact, a figment of artificial intelligence's imagination. Scott Hennessy, owner of the company operating 'Tasmania Tours', told ABC News: 'The vicious cyberattack on our company's reputation was extremely frustrating,' adding that they only started using AI to keep up with the competition. Had the post not had a real impact, it would likely have gone unnoticed, but people were very excited about the hot springs, and many traveled to Wildborough. Christie Robert, owner of a local Wildborough hotel, told CNN she felt puzzled when people started calling and inquiring about Wildborough's 'famous' hot springs. People are increasingly relying on AI to discover travel destinations, plan their trips, and even calculate costs, and such illusions are unlikely to disappear soon, so people will likely fall victim to such fabricated stories in the future. I was receiving about five phone calls a day, and at least two or three people would come to the hotel looking for it. The small rural town of Wildborough, located about 110 kilometers from Launceston in Tasmania (Australia), recently saw a strange surge in visitors thanks to a stunt created by an AI system that invented a tourist attraction and urged people to discover this 'serene haven' offering a 'sanctuary for rest and rejuvenation.' It all began when 'Tasmania Tours,' a website specializing in Tasmanian tourism, started using AI to churn out new content quickly, in an attempt to keep up with the big players in the tourism industry. Usually, the AI did its job well, and there was always someone to review the post before it was published, but this time, the AI made a mistake, and there was no one to correct it. In a post later deleted from the site, travelers were invited to discover the hot springs of Wildborough in the forests of northeastern Tasmania. Then, people started flocking in large numbers, asking about this tourist landmark that no local had ever heard of. Robert said: 'At first, it was just a few calls, but soon people started coming in droves. We are in a very remote area, so it was completely random.' Experts say this story is a sign of what is to come in the future.
