Integrating social sciences research with artificial intelligence (AI): A case study from the Great Barrier Reef

Artificial intelligence (AI) presents unprecedented opportunities to develop automated systems for tourism planning, marketing and management. This paper argues that AI systems are most effective if they are designed and developed based on theoretical and empirical insights gained from social science research. This paper introduces an example of how social sciences and AI research are complementary in developing an aesthetic monitoring system for the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Benefits and challenges of combining social sciences and AI are discussed, focusing on the need to applying a human-centred approach in tourism technology development. The paper also suggests directions for future cross-disciplinary research to advance our knowledge base and management tools in tourism.