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Microsoft ai suggests food bank as a “cannot miss” tourist spot in canada [updated], ai-penned microsoft travel article recommends food bank as a must-see destination..

Benj Edwards - Aug 17, 2023 8:14 pm UTC

Late last week, MSN.com's Microsoft Travel section posted an AI-generated article about the "cannot miss" attractions of Ottawa that includes the Ottawa Food Bank , a real charitable organization that feeds struggling families. In its recommendation text, Microsoft's AI model wrote, "Consider going into it on an empty stomach."

Further Reading

Titled, " Headed to Ottawa? Here's what you shouldn't miss! ," ( archive here ) the article extols the virtues of the Canadian city and recommends attending the Winterlude festival (which only takes place in February), visiting an Ottawa Senators game, and skating in "The World's Largest Naturallyfrozen Ice Rink" (sic).

As the No. 3 destination on the list, Microsoft Travel suggests visiting the Ottawa Food Bank, likely drawn from a summary found online but capped with an unfortunate turn of phrase.

The organization has been collecting, purchasing, producing, and delivering food to needy people and families in the Ottawa area since 1984. We observe how hunger impacts men, women, and children on a daily basis, and how it may be a barrier to achievement. People who come to us have jobs and families to support, as well as expenses to pay. Life is already difficult enough. Consider going into it on an empty stomach.

That last line is an example of the kind of empty platitude (or embarrassing mistaken summary) one can easily find in AI-generated writing, inserted thoughtlessly because the AI model behind the article cannot understand the context of what it is doing.

• A screenshot of the "Ottawa Food Bank" blurb in Microsoft Travel's AI-generated article. Ars Technica
• A screenshot of the AI-generated Microsoft Travel Ottawa article. Ars Technica

The article is credited to "Microsoft Travel," and it is likely the product of a large language model (LLM), a type of AI model trained on a vast scrape of text found on the Internet. Microsoft partner OpenAI made waves with LLMs called GPT-3 in 2020 and GPT-4 in 2023, both of which can imitate human writing styles but have frequently been used for unsuitable tasks , according to critics.

Since the announcement of deep investments and collaborations with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI in January and the emergence of Bing Chat the month after, Microsoft has been experimenting with integrating AI-generated content into its online publications and services, such as adding AI-generated stories to Bing Search and including AI-generated App review summaries on the Microsoft Store. "Microsoft Travel" appears to be another production use of generative AI technology.

First noticed by tech author Paris Marx on Bluesky, the post on the Ottawa Food Bank began to gain traction on social media late Thursday. In response to Marx's post, frequent LLM critic Emily Bender noted , "I can't find anything on that page that marks it overtly as AI-generated. Seems like a major failing on two of their 'Responsible AI' principles ."

Bender also pointed toward Microsoft policies; one is "Transparency," and reads, "How might people misunderstand, misuse, or incorrectly estimate the capabilities of the system?" and the other is "Accountability," which states, "How can we create oversight so that humans can be accountable and in control?"

Judging by the Ottawa article's content, it's more than likely that a human was not responsible for writing the article and that no one fully reviewed its content before publication either, which means that Microsoft is publishing AI-generated content on the Internet with little-to-no oversight.

Microsoft was not immediately available for comment by press time.

Update (08/22/2023): According to a statement from Microsoft on the Ottawa Food Bank article acquired by Insider, Microsoft said, "This article has been removed and we have identified that the issue was due to human error. The article was not published by an unsupervised AI. We combine the power of technology with the experience of content editors to surface stories. In this case, the content was generated through a combination of algorithmic techniques with human review, not a large language model or AI system. We are working to ensure this type of content isn't posted in future."

However, the author of the Insider piece, Nathan McAlone, questioned the "human review" part, noting that Microsoft Travel also published a string of other travel articles with incongruous or nonsensical elements (all of which have now been taken down) that suggest largely algorithmic composition at work. (Or perhaps an extremely lazy human copying and pasting random elements into an article with no editorial oversight?) It's entirely possible, like Microsoft claims, that large language models are not behind the Microsoft Travel stories, but experiments in other types of autonomous article composition still seem the most likely explanation for the unusual articles.

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Channel ars technica.

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Microsoft pulls travel article recommending Ottawa Food Bank as tourist attraction

By CityNews Ottawa staff

Posted Aug 18, 2023 01:47:18 PM.

An article that included the Ottawa Food Bank as one of the capital’s biggest attractions has been pulled from Microsoft’s website.

The article on MSN.com included 15 recommendations of places for tourists to visit in the capital. Coming in at number three was the “beautiful” Ottawa Food Bank.

“Life is already difficult enough,” the article said, encouraging tourists to visit the food bank. “Consider going into it on an empty stomach.”

The article also contained multiple errors, it referred to the seat of government as “Parliament Hills” and said tourists at Winterlude would get to experience “North America’s largest snow.” It showed a photo of the Rideau River when referring to the Rideau Canal, with a photo of the Rideau Canal on the listicle’s entry for Parc Omega, which it called “Omega Park.”

The article was removed from the website Thursday afternoon, after CityNews Ottawa contacted Microsoft for comment.

“This article has been removed and we are investigating how it made it through our review process,” a Microsoft spokesperson told CityNews Ottawa by e-mail.

In a statement to CityNews Ottawa, Microsoft said an investigation into the matter has been completed, adding that the issue has been identified as a “human error.”

“The article was not published by an unsupervised AI,” the statement from a Microsoft spokesperson said. “We combine the power of technology with the experience of content editors to surface stories. In this case, the content was generated through a combination of algorithmic techniques with human review, not a large language model or AI system. We are working to ensure this type of content isn’t posted in future.”

Microsoft cut dozens of journalism and editorial jobs at its Microsoft News and MSN organizations, in 2020, as part of a push toward using artificial intelligence to pick news and content for MSN.com and Microsoft apps.

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Microsoft removes article recommending 15 things to do in Ottawa, including visit the Ottawa Food Bank

The Ottawa Food Bank says it was shocked to find the organization mentioned in a now-deleted Microsoft Travel article recommending 15 things to do while visiting Ottawa.

The MSN article published earlier this week was titled, "Headed to Ottawa? Here's what you shouldn’t miss!"

"In Ottawa you will find some beautiful attractions that you just cannot miss," said the article. "Places like The Winterlude Festival, National War Memorial, and Ottawa Food Bank and many more."

In a statement Friday afternoon, a Microsoft spokesperson blamed the article's publication on "human error," adding the article was "not published as an unsupervised AI."

"The content was generated through a combination of algorithmic techniques with human review, not a large language model or AI system," the spokesperson said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.

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Number three on the list of 15 things to do in Ottawa is the Ottawa Food Bank.

"People who come to us have jobs and families to support, as well as expenses to pay," the description says.

"Life is already difficult enough. Consider going into it on an empty stomach."

The Ottawa Food Bank website has the line, "Life is challenging enough. Imagine facing it on an empty stomach."

The CEO of the Ottawa Food Bank says, "We were shocked to find ourselves in a tourism article, to say the least.

"Clearly, this type of listicle and messaging is not something we would ever want to be part of.  Encouraging people to 'visit us on an empty stomach' is incredibly insensitive and insulting to the clients of the network of food programs across the city," Rachael Wilson said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.

"However, it is not entirely surprising to us that AI picked up on the fact that 'Ottawa Food Bank' is a keyword in our city right now. Food insecurity is higher than we've ever seen before - and if this blunder helps to highlight that and bring support to the issue, then perhaps there is a silver lining."

The MSN article notes Ottawa is "known for its international music festivals, record-breaking ice skating rink, and hosting 34 major festivals like the Canadian Tulip Festival."

The byline for the article is 'Microsoft Travel' and does not indicate whether the article is written by a human or artificial intelligence. In 2020, Microsoft laid off journalists at Microsoft News and MSN to replace them with artificial intelligence.  

The Verge, a technology and science news website, reported Microsoft pulled the article from its website after it published an article on Thursday afternoon.

A Microsoft spokesperson tells CTV News Ottawa the company is working to ensure "this type of content isn't posted in future."

"This article has been removed and we have identified that the issue was due to human error. The article was not published by an unsupervised AI," a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement.

"We combine the power of technology with the experience of content editors to surface stories. In this case, the content was generated through a combination of algorithmic techniques with human review, not a large language model or AI system."

The now-deleted Microsoft Tourism article had several other errors in its 15 recommendations for visiting Ottawa, including:

• Going to an Ottawa Senators game, with a picture of the American Airlines Centre in Dallas
• The Rideau Canal, showing a picture of the Rideau River 
• "Discover a Winter Wonderland at Omega Park", with a picture of the Rideau Canal

Number one on the list was Winterlude, saying "Participate in the Winterlude, the Capital's winter festival, and skate on the world's largest rink or play on North America's largest snow."

Number 8 on the list was Parliament Hill, calling it the "metaphorical heart of our country."

"The Canadian Parliament Buildings are the buildings that house the Parliament of Canada," the article said.

Globe and Mail health columnist Andre Picard and podcast host Paris Marx were among the first to point out the article on social media on Thursday.

"Microsoft is really hitting it out of the park with its AI-generated travel stories!" Marx said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

"When you get #AI chatbot to write a travel story the results can be….unpredictable," Picard said.

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Microsoft pulls computer-generated article that recommended tourists visit the Ottawa Food Bank

By Elizabeth Napolitano

Edited By Aimee Picchi , Anne Marie Lee

Updated on: August 21, 2023 / 10:11 AM EDT / MoneyWatch

Microsoft has pulled a computer-generated travel article on Ottawa, Canada, that included an eyebrow-raising recommendation. Along with popular tourist spots like Parliament Hill, the piece endorsed visiting the Ottawa Food Bank. 

The now-deleted article, published this week on Microsoft's MSN website, is the latest in a long list of flubs from various online news sites that employ technology using algorithms and AI for creating content. The MSN article included the food bank as one of Ottawa's "cannot miss" tourist destinations, prompting a backlash from some readers on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. 

"Microsoft is really hitting it out of the park with its AI-generated travel stories," one X user  said in a post. "If you visit Ottawa, it highly recommends the Ottawa Food Bank and provides a great tip for tourists: 'Consider going into it on an empty stomach.'"

The tourism article was also riddled with errors, according the Canadian CBC. For instance, it included a photo of the Rideau River in a section about the Rideau Canal, and used a photo of the Rideau Canal for information about a Quebec park. 

"Algorithmic techniques"

A Microsoft spokesperson told CBS News the article has since been removed from Microsoft's website and the company is "investigating how [the travel guide] made it through our review process." 

The company said the article was created by "a combination of algorithmic techniques with human review, not a large language model or AI system." 

It added, "The article was not published by an unsupervised AI."

"Insensitive" content

According to a  screenshot of the original article, the oddly written piece ranked the Ottawa Food Bank as the No. 3 tourist destination in the Canadian capital. 

"The organization has been collecting, purchasing, producing, and delivering food to needy people and families in the Ottawa area since 1984," the guide said. "Life is already difficult enough. Consider going into it on an empty stomach."

The nonsensical article underscores the importance of human judgement in shepherding computer-generated content, Ottawa Food Bank Communications Manager Samantha Koziara told The Verge, which earlier reported on the AI travel guide. 

"The 'empty stomach' line is clearly insensitive and didn't pass by a (human) editor," Koziara said. "To my knowledge, we haven't seen something like this before, but as AI gets more and more popular, I don't doubt an increased number of inaccurate/inappropriate references will be made in listicles such as this."

AI blunders 

Microsoft's article is the latest in a series of blunders by media organizations experimenting with content authored by AI and other computer programs. 

Snapchat's My AI chatbot on Tuesday posted a random story with no explanation or responses when questioned by users, at least one of whom tweeted they were "FREAKED OUT."

Earlier this year, BuzzFeed published roughly 40 AI-generated travel guides that repeatedly used phrases like "Now, I know what you're thinking," and "hidden gem," technology news site Futurism reported . CNET last year published AI-generated articles that proved to be littered with errors .

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Elizabeth Napolitano is a freelance reporter at CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and technology news. She also writes for CoinDesk. Before joining CBS, she interned at NBC News' BizTech Unit and worked on The Associated Press' web scraping team.

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Microsoft AI Recommendation Suggests Ottawa Food Bank as Tourist Attraction

The AI-created travel guide suggested that visitors should consider "going into it on an empty stomach".

The Ottawa Food Bank

The Ottawa Food Bank has been actively serving the community since 1984, providing food to those in need. The organization has witnessed an 85% increase in demand since 2019. CEO Rachael Wilson expressed the hope that one day the need for food banks would diminish, reflecting a more prosperous society.

Public Reaction and Statements

The error was first noticed by Paris Marx, who shared it on social media platforms, including X (Twitter) and Bluesky. The AI's recommendation drew criticism and attention from various quarters. Samantha Koziara, the Communications Manager at the Ottawa Food Bank, expressed to The Verge that such messaging was not something they would ever endorse. She emphasized the importance of human oversight in content creation, especially when AI is involved. Jeff Jones, a Senior Director at Microsoft, responded dby stating that the article had been removed and an investigation was underway to determine how it bypassed their review process.

Microsoft is really hitting it out of the park with its AI-generated travel stories! If you visit Ottawa, it highly recommends the Ottawa Food Bank and provides a great tip for tourists: “Consider going into it on an empty stomach.” https://t.co/7bvGemDad2 — Paris Marx (@parismarx) August 17, 2023

In a later statement , Jeff Jones revealed that the recommendation articles had not been automatically published by AI but crafted in “a combination of algorithmic techniques with human review”:

“This article has been removed and we have identified that the issue was due to human error. The article was not published by an unsupervised AI. We combine the power of technology with the experience of content editors to surface stories. In this case, the content was generated through a combination of algorithmic techniques with human review, not a large language model or AI system. We are working to ensure this type of content isn't posted in future.”

AI in Content Creation

The use of AI in content creation has been a topic of debate. While AI can generate vast amounts of content quickly, the lack of context and understanding can lead to errors, as seen in this incident. Other publishers have also faced challenges with AI-generated content , highlighting the need for a balanced approach that combines the capabilities of AI with human judgment and oversight.

Background on Microsoft's AI Initiatives

Microsoft has been increasingly integrating AI-generated content into its online publications and services. The company had previously laid off journalists at Microsoft News and MSN in 2020, replacing them with artificial intelligence. This incident underscores the challenges and potential pitfalls of relying heavily on AI for content generation without adequate human oversight.

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AI-Generated Travel Guide from Microsoft Suggested Food Bank Stop on an “Empty Stomach”

• Laurent Giret
• Aug 18, 2023

Microsoft’s MSN.com news portal website is usually not recommended if you’re not into tabloid news and other sensationalistic content, but the company’s use of artificial intelligence to publish some stories has led to a pretty epic fail. Yesterday, the company quietly pulled an AI-generated travel guide for the Canadian city of Ottawa, which suggested tourists make a stop at the Ottawa Food Bank.

A Canadian technology writer shared the clumsily-written article on X/Twitter yesterday (via The Verge ), and put the emphasis on the most insensitive sentence from this article, which Microsoft has now pulled (emphasis mine): People who come to us have jobs and families to support, as well as expenses to pay. Life is already difficult enough. Consider going into it on an empty stomach. ”

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Microsoft is really hitting it out of the park with its AI-generated travel stories! If you visit Ottawa, it highly recommends the Ottawa Food Bank and provides a great tip for tourists: “Consider going into it on an empty stomach.” https://t.co/7bvGemDad2 — Paris Marx (@parismarx) August 17, 2023

Yikes. Looking at the Ottowa Food Bank’s website , it looks like Microsoft’s AI made a poor reinterpretation of a sentence that’s on the homepage of the website: “People who come to us have families and jobs to keep with bills to pay. Life is challenging enough. Imagine facing it on an empty stomach.”

If you’re curious, a full screenshot of the article written by “Microsoft Travel” is still available . It lists the Ottawa Food Bank as the #3 recommendation, right after the Winterlude Festival and the city’s National War Memorial. Speaking with The Verge, Jeff Jones, a senior director at Microsoft, said in a statement that “This article has been removed and we are investigating how it made it through our review process.”

It certainly doesn’t help that Microsoft laid off journalists working at Microsoft News back in 2020 when the company started to experiment with AI to replace human editors. Microsoft has made a big bet on AI this year and said that it was “committed to the advancement of AI driven by ethical principles.” Obviously, the company still has some work to do on that front.

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The 5 Best Airlines For First Class In 2024

• Airlines are still focusing on premium products, including first class.
• Air France, Lufthansa, Etihad Airways, and Singapore Airlines have quality first class experiences.
• However, All Nippon Airways could be the best first class experience to discover in 2024.

Despite airlines shying away from first class seating during the past few years, especially before the pandemic, there has been a resurgent focus on premium products in 2023 and 2024. Demand for first, business, and premium economy class seating has driven airlines to innovate and refresh their top-of-the-line products, with several carriers introducing new first class seats and suites.

If you were to look to tick off a few bucket list-worthy first class seats to fly on in 2024, several airlines have introduced or are planning to introduce new first class cabins during the year, indicating that the crème de la crème of airline seats is not going away anytime soon.

Air France’s La Première

Announced in: may 2022.

Aircraft available on:

• Boeing 777-300ER

While the cabin is not available yet, Air France has promised that it will be during the upcoming winter season, which starts in October 2024. The carrier announced that it was redesigning its La Premiere cabin, exclusively deployed on its 777-300ERs, in May 2022.

At the time, Air France said that La Premiere would be the longest on the market, offering up to three modular configurations that can be fully privatized, including transforming the seat into a sofa or a bed. Furthermore, the carrier promised that it would appear on more aircraft than previously.

Benjamin Smith, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Air France, said that La Premiere represents the best of French excellence and is a vital part of the airline’s DNA. The executive noted that even at the peak of the pandemic, the airline saw the importance of a first class cabin, especially on routes across the Atlantic Ocean.

Pictures: Air France Teases New First Class Seat Design

Lufthansa allegris, announced in: february 2023.

• Airbus A350
• Boeing 787-9
• Boeing 777X

While Lufthansa teased the new designs of its first class cabins in October 2022, the German airline officially introduced the new Allegris cabins, including new first class seats, in February 2023. The seats will feature on Airbus A350, Boeing 787, and 777X aircraft, upon their delivery to the German airline.

At the time, Lufthansa said the new Allegris seats would be introduced with its latest Airbus A350-900 aircraft in 2024. However, two of its most recent Airbus A350-900 aircraft were straight sent to the desert, reportedly because supply chain issues derailed the airline’s plans to introduce the new cabins on the two aircraft, which is why they are now parked at Teruel Airport (TEV), Spain.

Why Lufthansa Has Flown Two Brand New Airbus A350s Straight To Storage

Nevertheless, while they might be delayed, the first class cabins will still have plenty on offer, including unprecedented privacy for the German airline’s top-of-the-line seats. For example, Lufthansa said that customers can warm or cool their seats in the suite according to their needs.

Lufthansa Pushes New Cabin Launch To 2024 Due To Delivery Delays

Etihad airways the residence, announced in: may 2014.

• Airbus A380

While ‘The Residence’ is not a new product, the fact is that with the return of the airline’s Airbus A380 aircraft, passengers once again can enjoy ‘The Residence,’ an even more luxurious cabin than first class on the UAE-based Etihad Airways flights.

The one new development with the self-advertised three-room suite in the sky is that starting April 2024, the airline will deploy its Airbus A380 aircraft to fly between Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport (AUH) and New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). When the aircraft returned to service in July 2023, the airline deployed it only on the AUH – London Heathrow Airport (LHR) route.

A380 Return: The Fleet Of Etihad Airways In 2024

Singapore airlines first class, announced in: july 2013.

While it has been more than a decade since Singapore Airlines first unveiled its newest first class product, the cabin still has been one of the top-rated cabins globally as the airline has managed to provide an unparalleled experience to its customers.

Unfortunately, the carrier’s Boeing 777-300ER only welcomes four first class passengers since its other long-haul aircraft, including the Airbus A350-900, A350-1000, A380, and Boeing 787-10, only have business class seats. The only exception is the Airbus A380, with the airline offering the ‘Suite’: a similar experience to Etihad Airways ‘The Residence.’ When Singapore Airlines announced the cabin in July 2013, it said that the seat would introduce a new industry benchmark for premium air travel, including redesigning its business and economy class seats.

5 Reasons Flying Singapore Airlines Is Worth It

All nippon airways the suite, announced in: july 2019.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) announced its new first class seats in July 2019 . The airline, which also publicized its newest business class seat on the same date, described the then-new suite as designed by combining Japanese heritage and Western design.

While Skytrax rated Singapore Airlines’ first class as the superior product in 2023, maybe ANA, whose first class was ranked as the third-best seat in the world, will have what it takes to take it to the next level. After all, Air Frances’s La Premiere, voted second-best, is getting a refresh, which could go either way and provide a potential opportunity for ANA.

The Japanese carrier offers its first class product on two aircraft, its iconic ‘Flying Turtles,’ the Airbus A380s, and the Boeing 777-300ER. When it introduced the new suites, ANA said that this was the most spacious fully enclosed seating ever seen on an ANA aircraft, adding that features include privacy-enhancing doors and a 43-inch monitor, which also showed entertainment in a 4K resolution.

Which US Airlines Still Have First Class In 2024?