Booking a train ticket can feel like a stressful chore, especially when you are racing against the clock before tickets sell out. Navigating clunky interfaces, remembering login details, searching through several options, checking availability and entering passenger details is a lot of work.
A recent Instagram video shows how an AI assistant could handle much of that process with just a few instructions. Content creator Manthan Jethwani dropped a video on Instagram in which he asked OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra to find a train from Mumbai to Rajkot and complete most of the booking steps.
AI searches for Mumbai-Rajkot train
The idea came from a comment on one of the creator's reels about GPT-6 Astra. Someone asked if the AI could book a train ticket through IRCTC, India's official railway booking platform.
Since IRCTC is a government-run website, the creator was unsure whether the AI would be able to use it properly. So, he decided to test it himself by opening ChatGPT Astra and entering the journey details, stations and date.
He wrote, “I need to book a train ticket from Mumbai to Rajkot on September 20 between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. for two people in AC class. Use the browser.”
AI Checked Trains And Suggested Another Date
According to the video, the AI began navigating the IRCTC booking process through the browser. It entered the departure and destination stations, selected the travel date and searched for trains based on the specified time and class.
The creator said Astra found trains that matched the requirements but the available seats were on the waiting list. The AI then asked him what he wanted to do next.
Instead of going ahead with those options, he asked the assistant to check the following day for available tickets. The AI continued searching based on the new instruction.
“The only thing left for me to do was make the payment,” he said. The creator said the AI had taken care of the main parts of the process, including searching for trains, selecting options and filling in the required details.
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Users Ask If AI Can Handle More Tasks
The video soon drew a plethora of responses, with many suggesting to put AI through more difficult tests or unrelated tasks.
A user commented, “Try it in Tatkal and I will agree that AI will replace all of us,” referring to IRCTC's Tatkal booking system, where tickets get booked within minutes because demand is high.
Another user suggested testing the AI with job applications, writing, “Give it a resume and try applying for real jobs using this.”
Others focused on the payment stage and raised concerns about what could happen if AI systems were given access to sensitive information.
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