Beware a guidebook

I suspect this is happening all over. There was a recent post on the Trip Advisor Shetland Forum from a regular warning about a similar issue with "guidebooks" for Shetland.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g186571-i2799-k15422226-Don_t_buy_this_guide_book-Shetland_Islands_Scotland.html

I went to Williamsburg in December 2024. I was browsing on Amazon for a guide and found an inexpensive one about Williamsburg at Christmas time. It was by an author I never heard of but had a few positive reviews, so I got it. It was astoundingly bad. I knew it was AI generated because no human could come up with something that atrocious. It was loaded with misinformation, was poorly written, and said the same thing over and over while having no information about things you need to know. I have since noticed there are zillions of travel guides on Amazon written by individuals. My guess is that most are AI.

This is a topic which periodically merits repetition. No matter who the “author” is, it’s certain that much of the guide is researched and written by others. So, the first question is what is the target audience. First-timers, backpackers, 4 * hotel stayers? Culture-vultures, crunchy granola prople, outdoorsy folks, once-over quickly types? If you’re going to buy, checking your local public library for a taste of how different guides are oriented isn’t a bad idea. A further caveat Is that no matter how meticulous the researchers are, probably more than a year passes before a guide appears. Hotels and restaurants close. Hours change. Sites may be closed for renovations. Always check online for updates and keep your fingers crossed.
Since the OP brought up RS, I’ll throw in my opinion. After a couple of stays at awful places which he recommended, I never bother even to look at what he says. Also, regarding his general advice, I would never get into his travel light fanaticism , I have for years, I have used a 19-ish inch bag (checked) and a smaller carry-on. Laundry approximately once a week. No sink washing for me.
My favorite guide books are Blue Guides and Cadogans. They have lots of information about what interests me, mostly art, history and cultural sights, including many that aren’t mentioned elsewhere. I wouldn’t bother with what they say about hotels and restaurants. Also, they aren’t easy to find. Maybe no longer published?
To sum up, know yourself and accept that you will make mistakes, but have great trips.

I think you missed the point that the OP was trying to make, Rosalyn. It wasn't about a guidebook being out of date, but guidebooks not written by human beings at all. Also, you have piqued my interest. If you don't respect Rick Steves, how is it that you seem to spend so much time on his forum? You have posted here almost 4k times.

The worst example I've heard of was an early, clearly AI generated book on mushroom identification. I don't think I need to point out how incredibly reckless and dangerous this could be.

Personally I also don't understand people using ChatGPT to try and find human experiences. I've been in tech for a long time and I'll admit to being a bit of an LLM/AI curmudgeon, but there are so many good, detailed sources written by people who have benefited from there and care about sharing their experiences. Why relay on an unconscious aggregation of "most likely" outcomes from randomly collected information?

There have been many stories of people thinking they don't need visas or having other travel disasters because they think ChatGPT is somehow an accurate source for vital information. I say trust only authoritative sources for legal matters and people's shared opinions on human experiences.

Travel safe and smart everyone,
=Tod

Kathleen, you missed my points. The title of this thread is “Beware a Guidebook.” I addressed the question of choosing guidebooks, which is just a tad broader.
First of all, RS doesn’t actually participate in this forum. Lots of knowledgeable people, with advice and answers, do. My points were that RS’s travel style is different from mine, and that it’s important to find one’s own when selecting a guidebook. That would apply to any, written by AI or by humans. I also now have had a lot of travel experience in Europe, starting in 1984. (Yes, back in the last millennium!). I enjoy sharing information with others.

While AI might be the boogeyman now, keep in mind behind every AI generated item is a person lurking, hoping to make money off what was produced. It is not as simple as "AI" deciding to print a book, or doing it completely, the product is that of a person.

Long before AI there were dubious guidebooks, if someone thinks they can sell enough to make the effort worthwhile, watch out. It was definitely a bit more difficult in the days of hard print books, but go on Amazon Kindle, there are all sorts of short guides about places that look nice, kind of sound ok, then downloaded, have a smell to them that reeks of "off". E-publishing means that anyone going to the effort can do it, platforms like Kindle and other e-book sites have no investment as to whether it sells, they take their cut and are happy.

Certainly buyer beware is in order, and I have found one or two that was really good, but going with first, a trusted source, and second, a guide that matches your travel style, is a decent start.

This subject has come up a couple of times in the past:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tourist-scams/a-i-generated-guidebooks-scam-online
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tourist-scams/guidebooks-written-by-ai-bots#reply_2316076

Google the subject and it'll return umpty articles and discussions such as these:
https://www.npr.org/2024/03/13/1237888126/growing-number-ai-scam-books-amazon

Like some of you, I never rely on a singular guidebook, would never use one that's not from a tried-and-true publisher, never look at sections for hotels or restaurants, or note published attraction hours and entry fees. That's where recommendations from many of you come in, and the websites for the attractions on my interest list. In fact, I'd like to see guidebooks dispense with hotels and restaurant stuff altogether to make space for more attractions, cities, etc.

I also don't travel per Rick's style, especially when it comes to itineraries, and you'll have to pry our 24" Travelpro bags out of our cold, dead hands until we can't manage them anymore. LOL, some of us have been roundly flogged by other posters for advising (mostly first-timers) against his suggested itineraries as we feel they're too rushed. IMHO, there's no better way to come away hating a place than trying to cram 3-4 days worth of square peg into the 1.5 day round hole, and especially so if something goes sideways!

But in the end, it's all about personal interests and style plus other factors such as traveling with disabilities, a large, multigenerational group, tiny children, etc. If Rick's suggested itineraries work for you then fine but I have to believe even the 'boss' here would nod approvingly for suggesting a less-is-more plan. It's about the going at all, and getting out of the trip what YOU want to, eh?

@phred, I follow Nicki Positano on YouTube also and saw her video about the book. I see on FB now, too, feeds linking to AI-generated books on Amazon. I think it is a new type of scam and I would avoid getting a guide book from any unknown source. Imagine basing your entire trip on false information. I assume if they put false info in about markets, they wouldn't stop at false info about lodging and other important facts. Buyer beware!

Various & sundry:

The 'Live Like a Local' series screwed up royally with regards to their Rome edition. In it, they wrote that one can stroll the Appian Way starting from a certain point. My wife and I tried that and were appalled at the poor advice: we ended up dodging dangerous traffic including trucks for over a kilometer before a far-better starting point appeared. No sidewalks. We literally stood in the ditch on either side more than once. Madness. C'mon man Live Like a Local editors---do yer job.

As for quality guidebooks, those who may be France-bound could do a lot worse than consult the French brand 'Gallimard' books. They are excellent.

I'm with Kate and any other traveler who views a mélange of books as the best way to begin research. Then again, we Torontonians are lucky: our vaunted Reference Library is a contender for Best Travel Books collection anywhere. Every single brand of guidebook is represented plus numerous specialty titles per country. There are even rare Baedekers antique books from the late 19C.

I am done. The end.

In the grand scheme of vacation finances, buying two guidebooks isn't going to kill anyone. I always get one Rick and one other (usually Frommers) because yes they overlap but they are not identical.

And as noted, I have seen these faux books as well in the Kindle online area of Amazon, since you don't even have to pay to "publish" your fake guide you just need to throw something together and market it correctly.

I only use Rick's guidebooks but occasionally have to use Lonely Planet or others for areas that he doesn't cover. I like the ETBD format in their books, and also that they're updated on a regular basis.