What happened

Tasmania Tours, a website operated by Australian Tours and Cruises, published a blog post listing the “7 Best Hot Springs Tasmania Experiences for 2026,” including a fictional Hot Springs at the small rural town of Weldborough that was purportedly offering mineral-rich, tranquil pools in north-east Tasmania. 

The article provided vivid descriptions of the relaxing waters and encouraged travelers to make the trek to the rural Midlands region.

The content resulted in an influx of confused, frustrated, disappointed and out-of-pocket visitors, a welter of negative online reviews about the town, environmental damage, and disrupted local businesses and a damaged reputation for the area. 

The travel company subsequently deleted the article and apologised. 

Why it happened

The content was created with generative AI by a third-party contractor to help the tour operator compete online, but the AI produced a confident yet fabricated entry (“hallucination”) that was published without adequate human oversight and verification. 

The fracas reflects broader issues concerning the automation of marketing and other content in which businesses rely on AI for volume of output rather than accuracy. 

It also reflects the lack of external transparency exhibited by many companies about their use of AI.