Artificial intelligence has rapidly invaded our everyday lives. From smartphone assistants like Gemini to deepfake videos of celebrities, most people have encountered some form of AI,whether they know it or not.

I avoid AI whenever I can. I see the damage it is causing to artists with programs like Magic Studio, which can create prompt-based artworks in seconds for free. It also harms the environment and aids in the spread of “fake news,” as the ability to create realistic videos of celebrities saying anything becomes more common online.

Yet, many people love to use AI, whether in their personal or work lives. So, I set out on a brief investigation to see how good AI can be. I asked ChatGPT to plan a day trip around Pullman for me as a student who relies on public transportation. Here’s how it went.

The first stop it suggested was breakfast from 8–9 a.m.

“Start your day with a hearty breakfast at One World Café. It’s located in Downtown Pullman,” ChatGPT said.

One World Café is actually in Moscow, Idaho. So, the breakfast plans did not quite work out. If you are looking for a good breakfast spot in Pullman, Thomas Hammer Coffee is a nice spot located downtown.

Next, ChatGPT suggested a walk around WSU’s campus. The suggested timeframe of 9:15–10:30 a.m. was manageable and AI went further to point out that I could visit the Arboretum & Botanical Gardens (which is in Moscow) and the Museum of Anthropology on campus.

From 10:30–11 a.m., I was directed to the WSU Bear Center. This is roughly a 30-minute walk from the south side of campus, so AI’s timescale was off by a bit here. I got to the center at 11 a.m., watched the bears for 10 minutes, then moved on to my next stop – the Pullman Heritage Depot.

ChatGPT thought I could get there in 15 minutes. If I had a car, I could, but I do not and it knows that. I ended up waiting for a bus at Gesa Field, which dropped me downtown, and then I had another lengthy walk ahead of me. I arrived at my destination at 12:05 p.m. By this point, I was way behind the AI-constructed schedule.

I appreciated the historical displays at the depot before it was finally lunchtime. ChatGPT had picked out Sella’s for lunch – a choice that I enjoyed. I was meant to be there at 12:15 p.m., but I arrived at 12:35 p.m. To make up for lost time, I cut my lunch break from an hour to 40 minutes.

After I refueled, I was back off to downtown. My schedule recommended a stroll along the streets and a look in the shops, something I managed to do while sticking to my hour-long time slot.

Pullman City Park was up next. Except, it does not exist. So, I moved on to my next stop, Reaney Park. I was instructed to spend 45 minutes there before leaving at 3:30 p.m. By now, my schedule was beyond saving – I had hours to kill before my next stop – so I stayed at the park until 5 p.m. Reaney Park is a lovely place to sit and enjoy the sunshine while getting some fresh air. I had not visited here before, so I was happy with AI’s suggestion.

Dinner time approached, and I was led to Blue Lantern Coffee. Sadly, this is in Lewiston, Idaho, so it was another miss from ChatGPT. If you are looking for a good dinner place in Pullman, The Old European Restaurant in downtown is a great spot to enjoy some food in a relaxed setting.

The last event of the evening kicked off at 7 p.m. at the WSU Performing Arts Building. ChatGPT suggested I go and watch a show, but it did let me know I should check the schedule ahead of time. It also provided an alternative for the evening, if there were no shows that night, to go to the Coug. The Coug is a classic college bar with good food and a decent selection of drinks. In my opinion, this was a great way to end the night.

What I learned from my day trip is that AI still cannot accurately estimate travel times or locations, which means it can be a bad idea to use it for trip planning. Yet, it did take me on a tour of Pullman with the places it got right and I got to visit some new sights as well.