An Australian tourism company's website previously published an article advertising Wealdborough Hot Springs. Visitors are promised “serene relaxation” and “true harmony with nature.” The publication claims that this place is one of the seven best hot springs in Tasmania in 2026 and that the pools themselves are saturated with healing minerals and in demand for both tourism and wellness trips.
Tourists search for a “miracle spring” in Wealdborough, a small town located 110 km northeast of Tasmania's capital Hobart. In fact, it turns out that no hot springs exist there at all. There is a river in this area, but the water is frozen.
An investigation revealed that the text on the website was generated using artificial intelligence. AI also generated graphics for this article. The incident is described as an “illusion” of artificial intelligence, meaning that information at first glance seems correct but in reality is completely different from reality.
The travel agency owners insisted they had no intention of deceiving anyone. The site's content was prepared by an outside contractor and some articles were posted without prior review. According to businessmen, this incident negatively affected their reputation and caused a wave of criticism from site users. The only people who benefited from the situation were Wealdborough hoteliers, who were suddenly faced with a large influx of visitors, The Independent reported.
