In today’s column, I examine the fast-spreading trend of seeking so-called quiet travel or quietude as a preferred destination focal point for upcoming holidays and vacations. The deal is this. People seem to be exasperated with the noisy, argumentative, chaotic world that we live in. They don’t want to end up in that same raucous realm when taking time off. This has led to finding out-of-the-way retreats that offer peace and quiet.
It turns out that generative AI and large language models (LLMs) can help with that noble quest, perhaps in surprising ways that most people haven’t considered.
Let’s talk about it.
This analysis of an innovative proposition is part of my ongoing Forbes.com column coverage on the latest in AI including identifying and explaining various impactful AI complexities (see the link here). In addition, for my comprehensive analysis of how AI is being used specifically in medical and healthcare applications, such as for mental health guidance, overall cognitive therapy, and mind-improving care, see the link here.
Finding Quietude In All Manner Of Places
I recently took a weekend trip with family and friends to an outdoor retreat that was nestled next to a mountain and was surrounded by dense woods. The retreat had a plethora of hot and cold pools, steam rooms, saunas, and the like. All in all, it was a refreshing place to nicely unwind.
The surprise for me was that the retreat had a strict silence policy when making use of the facilities. No talking allowed. Wow, this seemed like a radical change in my daily activities. Most days are filled with constant conversation via phone, online remote access, in-person face-to-face chatting, and other interactive modes.
Unbeknownst to me, I had ended up in quietude, an enchanted quiet travel destination.
The idea is that rather than going to a busy city or a popular tourist spot, you aim for someplace that hopefully ensures quietness. Let’s clarify that statement. The quiet aspects are primarily associated with human speech. I mention this because you can readily go to a forest that has all sorts of animal sounds and other natural noises. Sounds are aplenty. Those don’t seem to count though against the quietude aspiration. It is just the murmurings of human voices that are the primary concern.
Where can you go to avoid human vocalizations? Envision secluded locations such as remote beaches, offbeat trails, and pretty much places that are sparsely populated. Could you attain quietude when visiting New York City? I assert that it would be a tough trick to pull off. There is a continual din of human voices there. Sometimes involving ear-splitting hollering or other exclamations of a brain-numbing piercing quality.
One distinctive element of quiet travel is that the journey to the locale doesn’t especially count in the quietude equation. Thus, if you take public transportation akin to using planes, trains, or automobiles to get to the quietude, it is considered begrudgingly acceptable that there are lots of conversations along the way. Those who want as much quietness as possible might ambitiously plan their transportation to be minimally noisy. Good luck with that.
What do people get out of a quietude experience?
In my case, I freely admit that I found the quietness at first shocking and felt as though a strange form of witchcraft had overcome all the people milling about here and there. Gradually, the heaviness of being quiet receded into a sense of relaxation. Afterward, many of the attendees that I spoke with said they had experienced a huge semblance of stress relief. They were elated to have disconnected themselves from urban noise. Health benefits reported in the mental health arena include improved well-being, spurring mental clarity, and a picture-perfect opportunity to practice true mindfulness.
Happy face.
Generative AI Enters Into Quiet Travel
There are two notable ways that generative AI serves quiet travel:
- (1) Planning for quietude. Generative AI can assist you when planning for some well-deserved quietude, including gauging what your preferences are, identifying suitable locations, and possibly even making bookings on your behalf.
- (2) Conversing during quietude. In a somewhat controversial twist, you can potentially use generative AI to carry out non-noisy conversations while immersed in quietude by interacting directly and silently with AI.
The first use has to do with using generative AI as a form of AI-based travel agent.
An AI-based travel agent is handy for those who want to do their own handiwork and not engage with a human to do so. Plus, the AI exceeds just doing Internet online searches since the generative AI brings to the table interactivity covering what you want and where you might go. Furthermore, for AI that makes use of the latest in agentic AI, such automation can do your bookings for you. See my coverage of the emerging advances in AI agents at the link here.
Don’t worry; there are still human travel agents if you prefer that means instead.
The second approach to utilizing generative AI carries a lot of heated debate. I say this because some purists of quiet travel insist that once you reach the looked-for quietude you are to turn off your smartphone and all digital devices. Put them aside and do not use them until after you’ve finished your trip. Ergo, you would have zero chance of accessing generative AI.
Period, end of story.
Conversing During Quietude Has Various Flavors
Whoa, wait for a second, that’s not the end of the matter.
Some are more flexible about the rules of quietude and indicate that you can use your smartphone and akin devices but only in the slimmest and quietest of ways. For example, you aren’t supposed to watch online videos. You are absolutely not engaging in any social media interactions. The only permitted use would be to read an e-book or write your memoirs.
As a heads-up for you, the way to really irk others at a quietude destination would be to overtly get onto your smartphone and start a loud conversation. That is going to get you extremely mean looks. I dare say the anger might go further and the next thing you know, you are out of there clickity-split. Do not fiendishly break the rules of quietude.
At the retreat that I attended, a young couple was whispering, somewhat incessantly, and eventually, an employee came over and stood sternly in front of them. I assumed the employee would chew them out. Instead, he held his finger up to his lips in a gesture of silence. They got the drift and stopped their chatter. A clever use of silence to invoke silence. Bravo.
Anyway, suppose you are allowed to use your smartphone but must not speak as you do so. The question arises as to how you could converse when not speaking aloud. Typing your thoughts would certainly seem to abide by the non-speaking consideration. Doing this while online connected to another human might be construed as a form of cheating or a violation of purity and spirit of quietude.
What about interacting via keyboard with generative AI?
Mull that over and decide if that’s a reasonable act or an outrageously off-the-mark act.
Generative AI An Exception To The Rule
A case for accepting the use of generative AI during quietude is this.
First, the AI isn’t a fellow human. If part of the concept is that you are supposed to avoid human interaction, voila, AI fits the bill.
Second, you don’t need to speak aloud. Just use the keyboard. This seems to keep you within the boundaries of quietude.
Third, an added benefit is that generative AI will conventionally be a pleasant conversationalist. You can interact on any topic of your penchant. You can stop interaction at any point. You can keep the conversation going endlessly. Any of those preferences would normally be difficult and cause a backlash or quarrel with a fellow human. Conversing with AI is pretty much stress-free if that’s how you want to arrange things (note that you can tell generative AI to be combative, but that doesn’t seem to fit the quietude philosophies).
Fourth, quietude doesn’t appeal to all people in the same way. Here’s what I mean. In my case, I started to go batty that I wasn’t supposed to talk. Maybe I am addicted to talking, or at least my brain is highly tuned to talking. To suddenly and sharply cut off my usual non-stop conversational activity was a shock to my system. The use of generative AI would seem to be a reasonable way to ease yourself through the quietude, trying to get the best of both worlds.
Does that convince you that generative AI is an allowed exception?
Hogwash comes the hushed retort. Any kind of conversation, spoken or not, ought to be verboten. The same applies to conversing with generative AI. The underlying precept is that it isn’t just the noise or sounds of conversation, it is also the act of conversing.
Quietude for some is about setting aside the chore or burden of interactivity.
I am not going to settle that debate here and leave the choice about how to construct quiet travel as an issue suited to your liking. The rules would seem to be based on personal tastes and not otherwise cast in stone. That being said, some places that are set aside for quietude do have posted rules and you’d be wise to find out what those rules are before you get there. That’s a trip-saving tip.
One thing I wonder though is whether sign language counts in this view of quietude rules. You could say that the employee doing the silence gesture was ostensibly non-verbally conversing with the whispering couple. Suppose participants communicated via sign language. Is that okay? They would be quiet, but they would also be carrying on a form of conversation.
Food for heavy thoughts.
Example Of Quiet Travel Planning Via AI
I logged into one of my generative AI apps on my smartphone and opted to try out the AI-based travel agent approach.
Here’s what happened.
- My entered prompt: “I’m feeling overwhelmed by the noise and busy nature of daily life. I’ve heard about something called ‘quiet travel’ or ‘quietude.’ Can you help me plan a peaceful getaway?”
- Generative AI response: “Absolutely! Would you prefer a structured experience like a silent retreat, or are you more interested in exploring peaceful nature destinations?
- My entered prompt: “I’d like a mix of both. Maybe a retreat with some meditation sessions, but also time to wander and explore nature on my own. Do you have specific places in mind?”
- Generative AI response: “For a silent retreat, destinations like Bali or remote monasteries in the Himalayas are popular. If you prefer exploring nature, consider the Canadian Rockies for quiet hiking trails, or Norway’s fjords for breathtaking, serene landscapes. Would you like recommendations tailored to your location or budget?”
- My entered prompt: “I’m in the United States and want to keep it budget-friendly but still impactful. Any suggestions?”
- Generative AI response: “In that case, I’d recommend exploring the Appalachian Mountains or booking a stay at a cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Both offer plenty of secluded trails and tranquil settings. Alternatively, there are silent retreats in upstate New York or California focused on mindfulness and yoga, often available at reasonable rates.”
You can plainly see that the AI was able to engage me in a dialogue about my travel plans, all the while focusing on attaining quiet travel. I could have kept going and used the AI to book my flights and hotels, but in this instance, I was just doing this as an example.
No quietude for me until my next time off from work.
Example Of Conversing With AI During Quietude
I have a secret for you. Please don’t tell my family or friends that while we were at the retreat, I snuck to a secluded corner and used my smartphone to interact with generative AI. A thousand pardons for my transgression.
This is how it went.
- My entered prompt: “I’m in the middle of my quiet travel experience right now. I’ve been enjoying the silence and solitude, but I felt like connecting for a moment since I’m not talking to any people.”
- Generative AI response: “How’s your quietude journey going so far?”
- My entered prompt: “It’s been very serene. I’ve been meditating, but I started wondering if this heightened level of silence is good for my mind.”
- Generative AI response: “Silence can be incredibly restorative, offering your mind a break from overstimulation. It encourages reflection and clarity, but it’s also important to balance introspection with grounding activities like walking, observing nature, or focusing on physical sensations. Quietude isn’t about strict silence; it’s about creating space for peace and intention.”
- My entered prompt: “I’ve been extensively using the hot and cold baths. It’s all very calming. I did start missing some interaction, which is why I thought of chatting with you. Is that breaking the ‘quietude rules’?”
- Generative AI response: “Not at all. Taking a moment to engage thoughtfully, even with AI, aligns with the spirit of your experience.”
- My entered prompt: “Thanks. It’s handy to keep my conversational skills going, even briefly. I’ll check in again later. Back to my quietude for now.”
As you can see from that human-AI dialogue, I caved in and fed my conversational habit. Woe is me.
Was I wrong to do so, or will you give me a thumbs-up pass?
Then again, don’t tell me since I am probably going to do so again, whenever I next experience quiet travel. That’s how I roll.
The Sacred Value Of Quietness
There is something else about generative AI that I think is worth mentioning in this context.
One overarching worry about the use of generative AI is whether we might, as a society, become overly dependent on AI. In addition, we don’t yet know what impact the ongoing and extensive use of generative AI will have on us. Will people stop conversing with fellow humans? Will people forget how to carry on human-to-human interaction? I’ve explored these provocative and important questions at the link here.
Perhaps turning to the use of AI during quietude is reinforcing a dependency on generative AI. Not good. On the other hand, if AI can soothe a stressed-out soul, that would seem beneficial. It isn’t necessarily like a snowball that’s going to run amuck and start an avalanche.
A final remark for now.
William Shakespeare famously said: “I feel within me a peace above all earthly dignities, a still and quiet conscience.” Perhaps quiet travel and quietude are a poetic act in the modern world. A refreshing change to the everyday rat race.
Give that some deep thought when you next have a moment of silent contemplation.
