LLM's (chatGPT) for route planning

[Berin]

So, obvs, AI is shite, etc.

But I tried this with Chat GPT;

1) Upload a 1200km GPX file, about 60% off road
2) Ask it to break down the route into 8 daily segments of no more than 150km per day
3) Find a hotel within 10 km of the end point, prefering Paradores. Don't count the 10km as part of the daily 150km, adjust the end point as required

We had a bit of a faff to start as it wanted to go to a parador on the Costa Brava for the first night, but with a bit of coaching got the right answer. Although it has bit of a penchant for golf resorts for some reason, and it doesn't know east from west, but still, not bad. It also gave me pretty good elevation profile, when I tried that on Google Earth it crashed.

Probably the CO2 produced running the algorithms was more than I'll actually create on the trip but luckily I don't care!

 

[Wapping]

AI is certainly learning. It will serve to answer the oft heard, “Me and my six mates, we want twisty, no motorways, routes from home to the alps, leaving tomorrow. And hotels (biker friendly) and stuff to see and do and cafes…..”

 

[Berin]

Yeah, eventually. Not yet though . The route needs work but it’s saved time.

The lesson, as with any gen AI, is be very precise with instructions and check the answers very carefully.

Now, if MRA or Garmin did a route planning AI, it could be a proper leap forward

 

[Wapping]

Post in thread 'An experiment with AI / Chat GPT'

Feb 26, 2025

As a total idiot where AI (and most computer and technology thingies) is involved, where is the AI on my macbook? Website? Assume it costs money to use it?

Google: ChatGPT

It’s free.

PS Your question was almost 30 words long. Google will do it in three

• Wapping

• 

 

[Redboots]

Now, if MRA or Garmin did a route planning AI, it could be a proper leap forward

I've managed OK, just using my noodle, for the past 60 years.
Seems like a race to the bottom.

 

[Berin]

I've managed OK, just using my noodle, for the past 60 years.
Seems like a race to the bottom.

I agree. It was something of an exercise to see if it could do it, and it more or less did.

It did take a bit of wrangling, however. This is also the paid version of chat GPT, I guess the free one might do it but it did look as though it was sweating a bit!

 

[er-minio]

Same experience as Berin.
I found it excellent at creating a rough draft for multi days trips across Europe. Then one can refine by hand (that is also part of the "game") if they want.

I'm using the paid version too.

 

[mw3230]

I've managed OK, just using my noodle, for the past 60 years.
Seems like a race to the bottom.

I imagine people said similar things when the abacus was threatened by the pocket calculator

 

[Redboots]

I imagine people said similar things when the abacus was threatened by the pocket calculator

 

[er-minio]

Yep.
Also, GPT (or any LLM) can be used as "simply" as "compounded" Google search.
Will search multiple topics at once and can refine and organise the results.

Even just using it like that, without asking it to create the plan for us, it's an excellent start. You can still maintain the finer control over planning, but you have someone helping you with organising, cleaning up the data, etc.

It's a valuable tool/helper.

Just double check the results to be on the safe side
Sometimes it gets stuff fairly wrong.
It's like working with an overly excited junior.

 

[Berin]

Yep.
Also, GPT (or any LLM) can be used as "simply" as "compounded" Google search.
Will search multiple topics at once and can refine and organise the results.

Even just using it like that, without asking it to create the plan for us, it's an excellent start. You can still maintain the finer control over planning, but you have someone helping you with organising, cleaning up the data, etc.

It's a valuable tool/helper.

Just double check the results to be on the safe side
Sometimes it gets stuff fairly wrong.
It's like working with an overly excited junior.

I was thinking the exact same analogy. You have to explain everything to it as though it’s a bright but clueless intern.

They have no context, so will happily get things catastrophically wrong, hence the wrangling, and the requirement to check absolutely everything.

Mind you, I do recall some years back when asking our travel desk to book a flight to San Jose a hapless new start ended up in Costa Rica.