From bytes to bias Investigating the ethical implications of AI’s cultural misrepresentation in tourism
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| Dokumentumtípus: | Diplomadolgozat |
| Kulcsszavak: | artificial intelligence culture ethics representation tourism |
| Online Access: | http://dolgozattar.uni-bge.hu/60320 |
| Kivonat: | This thesis explores the ethical and cultural implications of artificial intelligence in tourism. The research is focusing on how AI-generated content shapes the representation of destinations, tourist expectations, and industry practices. This research uses a mixed-methods approach, combining an experimental content analysis from generative AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, DALL·E, MidJourney), three interviews with Hungarian tourism professionals, and a public survey of 111 respondents. The study evaluates AI-generated descriptions and images for five countries (Hungary, Japan, Mexico, Kenya, and India) based on categories like cultural authenticity, avoidance of stereotypes, and narrative depth. The results reveal a tendency toward overly aesthetic and reductive portrayals, mainly caused by data biases and engagement optimization. The interviews highlighted both the operational benefits and ethical challenges of AI, particularly in misrepresentation, trust, and implementation. The survey results further support concerns around misleading content, algorithmic fairness, and the public’s limited trust in AI-generated tourism media. The thesis concludes that implementing human-in-the-loop design strategies, diversifying training datasets, and establishing more robust policy frameworks are essential tools for mitigating cultural distortions and promoting ethical AI adoption in tourism. This study emphasizes that while AI offers real opportunities for efficiency and personalization, its cultural influence must be critically examined to ensure that it supports rather than undermines meaningful and diverse experiences. |
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