Michael Motamedi and Vanessa Salas had just had a daughter. Priorities had changed, but what they didn’t want to change was the way they were.
They wanted to stay true to the people they were. So when their daughter turned 18 months old, they decided to embark on a six-month trip around the world and it would be artificial intelligence that would decide where they would go.
“Just because I’m a dad now doesn’t mean I’ll be wearing white therapy shoes, ill-fitting jeans and salmon-colored polo shirts,” Motamedi says on its website. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I plan to live large. “I want to set an example for my daughter, I want her to enjoy life.”
Ceding control to artificial intelligence
So in June, the couple decided to let GuideGeek, a chatbot that doubles as a travel guide, decide which country to visit or which restaurants to try. The only fixed variable is that each destination lasted a month, to be able to fully immerse yourself in the culture of the place. “And, normally, that means hours of research, constant travel and hundreds of phone calls,” says Motamedi.
Discover Morocco thanks to AI
The first destination chosen by the family chatbot, which will document the entire process for a new online series titled No Fixed Address, was Morocco. During this first month, they lived two weeks in Marrakech and a few more weeks in Fez.
There, they left the planning of several days to the choice of the candidate. For example, in Marrakech they decided to leave planning a perfect day in the hands of GuideGeek. Although this is, as Motamedi itself acknowledges, something extremely subjective and can vary greatly from person to person.
The first plan of the morning was a hot air balloon ride over the Moroccan desert to watch the sunrise over the Atlas Mountains. Subsequently, the AI recommended going to the Maison de la Photographie in Marrakech. For lunch, the chatbot suggested eating on the roof of the Maison de la Photographie. There, Motamedi points out, they had one of the best meals of the entire trip.
In the afternoon, they went to a secret garden and dined at Tobsil, an intimate and secluded restaurant serving traditional Moroccan cuisine. Finally, to end the day, the last stop was Café Arabe, a terrace offering panoramic views of the entire city. An experience that Motamedi described as perfect, since he was able to see the city from above, from the inside and with a wide panoramic view.
Explore Spain through its cheeses
Today, after a month in our country, Motamedi has continued his journey to Paris (France), where instead of preserves he focuses his gaze on cheeses. According to what he says in his latest video, he has already tasted more than 50 cheeses.
Trust in AI
Even though Motamedi and her family rely on an AI to plan their trip, her mother, she told Business Insider, was completely terrified of letting a chatbot plan her semester trip. However, he knows that AIs can make mistakes and therefore he does not plan to blindly follow all advice. “My family comes first, just because Google Maps tells me to go left and I see a lake in front of me doesn’t mean I’m going to enter that lake,” he told Business Insider.
What is clear is that it will be an experience you will not regret. “I truly believe that all decisions should be made with two people in mind. Will my younger self be proud and my future self grateful? If I can answer these two questions correctly, then I know I am in the right place and doing the right thing,” he concludes.
I am a student and I am part of the editorial staff of joehovasmf.com. I have the chance to enjoy writing, however, I also like to discuss all subjects and especially anything related to Science.