Today I travelled from London to New York, via Paris and Athens, in about an hour. I did not leave my desk. I spent some time playing with AI-generated images, using ChatGPT’s Create image function and a single reference photo of my own face. I placed “myself” into a handful of familiar city settings and let the system do the rest. I generated several images that might create a sense of travelling. This was partly curiosity, partly play. But it is also very directly connected to my PhD work. My research looks at how rural DMOs can use AI in tourism promotion in ways that are effective, ethical, and grounded in local values. Not to replace real places or experiences, but to understand what these tools actually do, how they feel to audiences, and where the boundaries should be. Using my own face was a deliberate choice. It avoids copyright issues, ensures consent is clear, and keeps the experiment transparent. Every image you see in this post is AI-generated, and every face in those imag...