ChatGPT products open a new era: the travel industry is being quietly reshaped

Although ChatGPT products have continued to explode since the end of last year and have demonstrated a variety of uses, their actual use scenarios are still relatively limited. However, some researchers predict that there will be a big explosion in the use of such products next year, with customer service being the main target. This could lead to a reinvention of the travel industry.

Indeed, generative AI has already been tested in the travel industry, albeit with mixed results. So far, ChatGPT's use in the travel sector still shows the limitation that its data does not extend beyond September 2021. This is a common problem these days, especially in the travel sector where information needs to be the most up-to-date version.

However, online travel agencies are now being reshaped from within by artificial intelligence, and even if people don't realize it yet, the decisions they make are already being influenced by this technology.

Booking.com has been using artificial intelligence and machine learning for more than a decade," said Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking Holdings. It's ingrained in our platform every step of the way." This includes personalized travel recommendations, as well as machine translation for more than 40 languages and dialects.

Personal travel assistants

Now, top travel industry executives are weighing the impact of the new race between ChatGPT and Google Bard, as well as some other contenders, on the industry's latest iteration.

The large language models at the heart of generative AI, Fogel says, offer "interesting possibilities, especially in itinerary building and question answering."

But he also notes that this is not meant to replace human interaction. Fundamentally, he says, "travel is about connecting people and communities, and that human relationship will always play a critical role in the travel experience."

But humans do not have the ability of AI to analyze the vast databases that will add new levels of value and travel service support for travelers, and human interactions continue to play a key role in shaping the overall travel experience. He said, "Innovation in travel should enable richer human interactions between travelers and supplier partners, while increasing efficiency at scale."

Booking Holding's Kayak platform recently announced in a blog post written by ChatGPT and edited by Kayak employees that it has officially integrated ChatGPT to gradually expand to a wider audience. Kayak describes ChatGPT as a "virtual travel assistant" that allows for more conversational interaction with Kayak's search engine.

The blog notes, "Users simply enter a natural language query, such as 'where can I fly from New York in April for less than $500,' and Kayak gives personalized recommendations based on their search criteria and historical travel data."

In addition, the ability of artificial intelligence to understand and analyze natural language allows for more personalized recommendations. According to the blog, "If someone asks, 'I'm looking for a hotel in New York near Central Park,' ChatGPT can understand the traveler's specific needs and preferences and ask Kayak to provide tailored recommendations based on that information."

Stress and anxiety

The role of artificial intelligence as a travel assistant will follow the traveler's experience, including the ability to quickly mediate when travel plans are disrupted.

Fogel says, "AI's potential to remove friction, surface value, predict potential problems and provide real-time solutions when your trip goes awry will continue to drive our team. We ultimately hope to recreate and even surpass the ease and personalization of the traditional travel agency era through the power and use of cutting-edge technology, of which AI is central."

Today, the airport experience best illustrates the impact of mishaps in travel planning on travelers . That makes Matt Breed, chief information officer at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, an early adopter of AI, one of whose primary goals is to improve the customer experience at the airport.

Traditionally, travel brings a lot of anxiety," he says. This is largely due to the unknowns that pile up with air travel, and airports can be a particularly worrisome experience. 'How long will it take me to get through security? Do I have time to grab a bite to eat? What shopping items are nearby?'"

Breed predicts that at least some of the anxiety can be eliminated or alleviated by focusing on the use of AI and generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. He envisions AI as a trip analyzer that extracts multiple sources of real-time information to help optimize a passenger's journey. He believes that the hypothesis of putting this technology in the customer's pocket and personalizing its use will soon become a reality.

Behind the scenes at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, artificial intelligence is also playing a larger role in operations.

Breed said, "Being able to make incremental adjustments to our operations based on AI recommendations really has a significant impact on the efficiency of our aircraft stops and aircraft returns, which helps avoid very annoying delays for travelers."