We've built our reputation on one thing: the people who actually go. They walk the streets, eat the food, ask the awkward questions and decide whether a hotel or restaurant earns its place in your trip. AI does not and cannot do that work.
Lonely Planet has always embraced a spirit of innovation on behalf of the traveler. Putting their travel dreams and travel realities at the center of what our brand offers is part of our DNA and always will be. We were one of the earliest travel websites. We've always bet on what travelers actually need, even before the tools to deliver it were obvious. That instinct hasn't changed, and it’s shaping the way we consider AI as we look to make travel guidance more personal, useful and intuitive.
This page explains where AI does and does not play a part in what we publish.
What stays human
Our original editorial content, from travel articles and guidebook chapters to destination overviews, is created by Lonely Planet staff, editors and a global network of local experts. The recommendations you read on our pages, whether for restaurants, hotels, sights, activities or itineraries, come from our contributors and editors using their own judgment and reporting. A named editor signs off on every piece of original content we publish.
Where AI helps our editorial team
AI does have its uses. It handles routine work that would otherwise eat into our editors' time. Common uses:
- Analyzing large datasets, such as traveler search trends or public reviews, to help editors spot patterns worth investigating.
- Brainstorming angles or article topics, which a human writer then researches and decides whether to pursue.
- Suggesting headlines and draft summaries, with human oversight and editorial review.
- Building systems and workflows that help editors work more efficiently with writers and contacts in the destinations they cover.
- Tagging, reporting and organizing unstructured data inside our content management systems.
In all cases, an editor reviews the output before it shapes anything readers see.
What we will not do
We do not use AI to create original editorial reporting, recommendations, reviews, or destination expertise. We do not use AI to invent quotes, fabricate traveler experiences or simulate local expertise we do not have. And AI does not replace the judgment of our writers, editors or local experts on what to recommend.
We do not use AI to generate images of real places or materially alter photography in ways that misrepresent what travelers will find there. We always endeavor to show the locations we’re recommending on the ground, as they really are. We have a strict editorial photography policy that allows for adjustments to things like color and edits.
Where AI shows up for readers
A small number of reader-facing features draw on AI, such as:
- Quick-summary blocks at the top of certain destination articles, which condense the reporting in the article below into a short overview.
- Structured at-a-glance tables on some articles, which lay out details like best time to visit, getting around and key practical info in a scannable format, all pulling from our own written content.
In both cases, the underlying content is always reported and written by a human. AI handles the reformatting within editorially designed templates, using prompts and guardrails developed and tested by our editors to preserve accuracy, voice and usefulness. When a feature uses AI to summarize or structure our own editorial content, we label it clearly. Note that we may offer AI-based tools in specific products, such as the Lonely Planet AI Guide within the Lonely Planet mobile app, which are for end users, not our editorial team. Accordingly, such tools may operate in ways different from what is discussed in this Editorial Policy. Where appropriate, future tools may include AI disclosures associated with those products.
Tell us when we get something wrong
Things on the ground change fast. Restaurants close. Prices move. Borders shift. If you spot anything in our content that needs updating, please let us know here.
Third Party Content
Lonely Planet's own editorial content is created and reviewed by our editors. However, some content on our pages, including advertisements, sponsored placements, affiliate listings, and syndicated material from third-party advertisers and other partners, is provided and controlled by such third parties. While we may apply certain advertising standards for third-party content, such third parties determine their own governing AI practices. If you have questions about third-party content, please contact the third party directly.
We update this page as the tools evolve
Everything we do with AI has to serve the traveler. We will use these tools when they help us make Lonely Planet more useful, accurate and easier to navigate, without weakening the reporting, judgment and local expertise travelers rely on us for.