Google's Gemini Spark planned my family vacation — and it was both brilliant and unsettling

For years, tech companies have promised that AI would revolutionize trip planning. Just tell it where you're going, they say, and it'll handle the rest. In my experience, that promise usually falls flat — you get a list of the six most obvious attractions in any city and nothing more.

Then I tried Gemini Spark, Google's new always-on AI agent. It's rolling out to subscribers of the $99-per-month AI Ultra plan, but Google gave me early access. I started small: having it scan my Gmail for subscriptions to cancel, and comb through Google Docs for unfinished tasks. It did both jobs well, creating a tidy document with unsubscribe links.

Then I asked it to plan a weekend trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania, with my wife, two kids, and dog. I didn't mention my son Lewis's age, my wife's name, or that she avoids onions. I didn't say I had concert tickets for Saturday night.

Minutes later, Spark returned a detailed Google Doc. It included driving directions from my home — an address I never provided. It recommended hotels with pet fees. It knew my dog's name is Frida, likely from vet emails. It noted that Lewis, under a year old, gets into Hershey Park free, while three-year-old Arthur needs a ticket. It scheduled nap time at 1:30 PM, correctly guessing his afternoon routine. It even found the Thomas Rhett and Niall Horan concert from my Ticketmaster confirmation and noted parking was included.

When I mentioned my parents would babysit, Spark happily addressed them by name and switched its hotel recommendation to an Airbnb. It then drafted an email to my wife, attached the itinerary, and sent it.

The only failure came when I asked it to book the Airbnb. Spark hit a security wall and couldn't complete the transaction.

On one hand, this is extraordinary. Google's access to my emails, calendar, and search history produced something a human assistant might have — personalized, thoughtful, and eerily accurate. On the other hand, it's deeply unsettling. Spark casually revealed my children's names and ages, my address, and details I never consciously shared.

This is the trade we're being asked to make. The more you give AI access to your life, the more useful it becomes. Google already holds that data; rivals are scrambling to catch up. The result is a tool that knows you intimately — and that feels both magical and invasive. I'll probably follow Spark's itinerary exactly. But I won't forget that it's watching.