Can AI help budget a family vacation?
WLWT turns to UC's Applied AI Lab director for tips
Travel season is here, and planning vacations can be time-consuming and expensive.
WLWT asked Jeffery Shaffer, Director of the Applied AI Lab and Assistant Professor-Educator at Lindner College of Business, for advice on how to use generative AI to plan a getaway.
Shaffer told WLWT that he thinks generative AI tools, such as Perplexity, can be a huge time-saver.
"I'd rather go watch an episode of something on TV or go take my dog for a walk, or something else that I would enjoy much better," Shaffer said. "So, for me, it's all about what I can do with the certain amount of time that I have."
Shaffer suggested instead of treating the prompts like a search engine, to message it like you would a person. He said it is less intimidating once you understand how to work with it for your own needs.
Featured image at top of a sylized AI chatbot. Photo/iStock/hirun
Related Stories
Why is there a statue of Stephen Foster in Cincinnati?
June 26, 2026
Even if you don't know American parlor composer Stephen Foster, you’ve probably heard his music. His mid-19th century folk songs, including “Camptown Races” and “Oh Susanna,” make appearances in pop culture to this day. There’s a statue of Foster overlooking the Ohio river in Alms Park that prompted WVXU's Bill Rinehart to feature him in his Cincinnati mysteries segment, OKI Wanna Know. WVXU turned to University of Cincinnati music history expert Kristy Swift for a peek into Foster’s life and impact in the region.
World Cup watch parties unite fans, communities
June 26, 2026
UC Assistant Professor Letisha Brown tells Spectrum News that watch parties for sporting events and entertainment are popular because people feed on others' excitement.
Drone-delivered groceries descending into Cincinnati
June 25, 2026
Walmart is bringing drone delivery to Cincinnati, as reported by 700WLW. Host Scott Sloan spoke with Michael Jones, associate professor of economics at the University of Cincinnati's Lindner College of Business, for a look at what it means for Cincinnati shoppers.