Artificial Intelligence and Authenticity: The Transformation of Reality in Tourism Experiences

Abstract

This study aims to conceptually discuss, from a phenomenological perspective, how the concept of authenticity is transformed in artificial intelligence (AI)-mediated tourism experiences. As this study is not empirical phenomenological research, it is based on a conceptual and thematic evaluation of the existing literature. In this context, the study examines reality, authenticity, trust, tourist autonomy, human-AI interaction, and experiential meaning-making processes in the context of AI-supported itineraries, chatbots, virtual experiences, and AI-generated content. The literature review indicates that AI can influence the perception of authenticity in two ways. While personalization, access to information, the enrichment of experiences, and co-creation can strengthen the perception of authenticity, excessive automation, a reduction in human interaction, limitations on tourist autonomy, a decrease in spontaneous exploration, and trust issues regarding synthetic content can weaken authenticity. Accordingly, this study proposes a conceptual framework that addresses transparency and trust, tourist autonomy, human-AI interaction, and experiential meaning-making as the core components of AI-mediated authenticity. This framework views authenticity not merely as a characteristic tied to the source of the experience or its physical reality, but as a dynamic phenomenon shaped by the tourist's processes of perceiving, evaluating, and attributing personal meaning to the experience.