Overview
- Which? this week found that Tripadvisor’s AI‑generated review overviews often present glowing or neutral snapshots while underlying guest reviews report food poisoning, poor hygiene and sexual harassment.
- The probe flagged Riu Palace Santa Maria in Cape Verde, where Which? recorded 102 mentions of food poisoning and the hotel is part of group legal action involving about 412 holidaymakers and several reported deaths since 2023.
- Tripadvisor says it disagrees with Which?’s findings, insists no reviews have been hidden and points to safeguards that it says suppress AI summaries when listings include traveller warnings about serious safety incidents.
- Which? also tested Tripadvisor’s chatbot Ollie and found it gave reassuring answers about hygiene and risk of food poisoning at the Riu Palace, a response that the consumer group says could further mislead users.
- Experts warn that AI summarisation can average away minority but high‑risk complaints, that prominent placement of summaries may shape booking choices, and they advise travellers to read full one‑star reviews and consult other sites while regulators and lawyers watch for consequences.