An investigation by Which? found that Tripadvisor's AI-generated overviews of customer feedback downplayed serious complaints, including allegations of sexual harassment and hygiene issues. These AI summaries are intended to condense customer reviews on the travel website.

For example, an AI summary described the Riu Palace Santa Maria in Cape Verde as having "spotless" cleanliness. However, customers had reported being served raw chicken and shared photographs of flies and birds on the buffet at the same hotel. Guests also reported seeing "dead little roasted mice by the sitting area." The AI-generated review for this specific property is no longer available on Tripadvisor, and hundreds of guests are suing RIU Hotels & Resorts in the high court, citing illnesses linked to poor hygiene standards and food safety failures.

In another instance, an AI summary characterized a Dominican Republic hotel as having "abundant" amenities while noting only "inconsistent" cleanliness and "maintenance issues." Guests at this hotel had reported showering with bottled water because the mains taps ran dry, and a large wedding party staying there experienced widespread illness amongst its members.

Regarding a hotel in Turkey, the AI summary described the service as "friendly" and indicated that "lapses [in service] noted by a few." However, guests at this hotel had reported feeling unsafe due to repeated sexual harassment from male hotel staff, including requests to connect on social media.

Tripadvisor stated it was monitoring and refining its AI tool. The company also indicated it was "looking into the examples where reviews did not match the intended property." Tripadvisor maintained that its AI-generated summaries do not replace travelers' reviews. "We are confident these features are delivering exactly what they were designed to do: help travellers quickly understand the breadth of feedback while making it easy to explore the underlying reviews in full," Tripadvisor said. The company added that its systems automatically suppress AI summaries when travelers warn about serious safety incidents such as death, drugging, or sexual assault.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, commented on the findings. Boland stated, "The platform has a responsibility to revisit the accuracy of its AI summaries and AI chatbot." He advised, "In the meantime, users should scroll past these summaries and look at guest reviews, particularly one-star ratings, and at reviews on other sites, to make sure their next stay is a safe one."

Why It Matters

This investigation into Tripadvisor's AI-generated review summaries raises concerns about the accuracy and reliability of AI tools in presenting comprehensive customer feedback, particularly for critical issues like hygiene and safety. The findings suggest that relying solely on these summaries may misrepresent the full extent of negative guest experiences, potentially affecting travel decisions. The ongoing legal action against RIU Hotels & Resorts by hundreds of guests further emphasizes the gravity of the complaints that were downplayed in some AI summaries.