Austrian National Tourist Office Proves Humans Beat AI with Chat SkiPT

Nowadays, more and more people ask an AI when looking for information about their vacation destination, which can lead to generic answers or pretty mainstream suggestions. This insight led to the Austrian National Tourist Office launching the world's first 'Authentic Intelligence' called With Chat SkiPT. Real ski instructors take the place of AI chatbots and answer questions about winter vacations, winter sports and beyond. With their unbeatable local insider knowledge, the instructors put AI services in their place and convey the typical Austrian charm and the flair of a winter vacation in Austria – something that only real humans can do. ChatSkiPT.com is already online, the actual chat phase started on January 17th, 2024.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is finding its way into more and more areas of life, and AI is already being used regularly for holiday planning. Tools such as ChatGPT can provide valuable tips and well-founded information. However, they have not mastered the typical Austrian humour And there is also a residual risk of incorrect results and poor recommendations. Not least because holidays in Austria are all about authentic experiences, the Austrian National Tourist Office is relying on 'Authentic Intelligence' - the knowledge and humour of real-life Austrian ski instructors - instead of 'Artificial Intelligence', as part of a new marketing campaign.

"Winter holidays in Austria are not just about state-of-the-art ski infrastructure with over 23,000 hectares of pistes and more than 2,600 ski lifts. What makes a holiday in Austria special are the authentic experiences and personal contacts. The conversations with local people, hosts and ski instructors. We at the Austrian National Tourist Office are enthusiastic about technology and open to the possibilities and capabilities of artificial intelligence. With ChatSkiPT, we still want to remind everyone that it's all about people and that AI cannot replace the friendly Austrian charm, at least not yet." says Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger, CEO of Austrian National Tourist Office.

The idea was developed together with Austrian creative agency Wien Nord Serviceplan. The cornerstone of it is an online film directed by Niklas Schwärzler (SOVISO Film Production) in which ski instructors from Austrian ski regions appear as testimonials. "It's not about AI.", Axel Spendlingwimmer and Michael Maier, the lead Wien Nord Serviceplan creatives behind the project, add: "It's about what AI can never achieve: conveying real human emotions. And that goes for the flair of a place like Austria, as well as for human creativity in general."

Christian Hellinger, chief creative officer, Wien Nord Serviceplan elaborates, "We are not promoting tech-scepticism or denying the revolutionary changes that AI brings. With ChatSkiPT we highlight the importance of real human interactions for a genuine winter holiday experience. It’s local people like ski instructors or local service staff whose personality and knowledge turn your stay into truly enriching memories.”

On the website, visitors write their questions in a chat window, similar to ChatGPT. However, with ChatGPT, instead of AI 16 ski instructors from the Austrian ski regions respond to the questions. The experts provide in-depth specialist knowledge about skiing, reveal how to enjoy the Austrian winter, and are also happy to share a word or two of wisdom. You can chat from Wednesday, 17th January 2024 to Saturday, 20th January 2024 during fixed time slots. The chat is available in English and German.