Plan a sunset hike from a ChatGPT itinerary and get stuck at the summit after the last ropeway had gone (failure)
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- by Dana Yao, reported by Lynn Brown (BBC Travel)
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Evidence: Article or interviewA newsletter, journalist or interview account of what happened.
FailureThe source says the agent did not get the job done.
What went wrong: ChatGPT gave the wrong last ropeway time and the couple were stranded at the summit.
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Outcome
Dana Yao and their spouse used ChatGPT to plan a romantic hike up Mount Misen on Japan's Itsukushima island. They set off at 15:00 to reach the summit for sunset, exactly as ChatGPT had told them. ChatGPT said the last ropeway down was at 17:30, but when they got to the station to descend, the ropeway had already closed, and they were stuck at the top of the mountain.
Agent
Prompt Recreated prompt
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Run this task now, exactly as written below. Everything you need is here, so start straight away and only stop if something required is missing or a rule below tells you to. Goal: Plan a day outing around fixed times (last train, ferry or cable car) so we don't get stranded. Fill in before running: - Where we're going and the date: [DETAILS] - What we want to do and when (for example sunset at the top): [PLAN] - How we're getting there and back: [DETAILS] Rules: - Find the last departure for every return leg on the official operator's site for that exact date, with a link. - Work the plan backwards from the last departure, with a safety margin of at least 30 minutes. - Note seasonal or weather changes to timetables, and tell me which times you couldn't confirm. - Give me a backup way down or back if we miss it, and the walking time. - Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything. - Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify. Output: A timed plan with the latest safe start time, the official last departures and a backup option. You'll know it worked when: we do the outing and catch the last way back with time to spare.
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Run this task now, exactly as written below. Everything you need is here, so start straight away and only stop if something required is missing or a rule below tells you to. Goal: Plan a day outing around fixed times (last train, ferry or cable car) so we don't get stranded. Fill in before running: - Where we're going and the date: [DETAILS] - What we want to do and when (for example sunset at the top): [PLAN] - How we're getting there and back: [DETAILS] Rules: - Find the last departure for every return leg on the official operator's site for that exact date, with a link. - Work the plan backwards from the last departure, with a safety margin of at least 30 minutes. - Note seasonal or weather changes to timetables, and tell me which times you couldn't confirm. - Give me a backup way down or back if we miss it, and the walking time. - Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything. - Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify. Output: A timed plan with the latest safe start time, the official last departures and a backup option. You'll know it worked when: we do the outing and catch the last way back with time to spare.
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Optional stronger version
Our rewrite with extra checks. The poster didn't test it.
Run this task now, exactly as written below. Everything you need is here, so start straight away and only stop if something required is missing or a rule below tells you to. Goal: Plan a day outing around fixed times (last train, ferry or cable car) so we don't get stranded. Fill in before running: - Where we're going and the date: [DETAILS] - What we want to do and when (for example sunset at the top): [PLAN] - How we're getting there and back: [DETAILS] Rules: - Find the last departure for every return leg on the official operator's site for that exact date, with a link. - Work the plan backwards from the last departure, with a safety margin of at least 30 minutes. - Note seasonal or weather changes to timetables, and tell me which times you couldn't confirm. - Give me a backup way down or back if we miss it, and the walking time. - Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything. - Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify. - Add a phone reminder time for when we must start heading back. Output: A timed plan with the latest safe start time, the official last departures and a backup option. You'll know it worked when: we do the outing and catch the last way back with time to spare. Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.
Source
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250926-the-perils-of-letting-ai-plan-your-next-trip
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