It’s official now, we’re living in a never-ending episode of a dystopian TV show black mirror. With the launch of “generative AI” platform ChatGPT by the end of 2022, we could have AI write emails, give parenting advice, and even make heartfelt wedding vows. You may not want to believe their abilities have yet matched those of humans, but at the recent AI Security Summit at Bletchley Park in November, King Charles addressed a room full of tech giants and world leaders, saying AI was “no less important than the discovery of AI.” electricity, splitting the atom, creating the world wide web and even controlling fire”.
As a travel journalist and trend forecaster, I experiment with how “Gen AI” tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard can be used in my work and report on interesting applications of the technology to make travel planning and booking easier. I even challenged him to try writing this article: “Have you ever felt overwhelmed by countless options when planning a trip? AI is here to simplify this. Artificial intelligence-supported platforms can recommend destinations, hotels and activities that suit your personal taste by analyzing your past travels, preferences and even social media activities. “Imagine logging into an app and instantly finding a list of destinations you’ll love, full of boutique hotels, quirky cafes, and hidden gems,” ChatGPT writes in a matter of seconds.
He adds: “The rise of AI-powered chatbots means you have a travel assistant in your pocket, ready to answer your questions whenever you want. These virtual assistants are becoming increasingly sophisticated, providing real-time assistance with flight bookings, recommending local experiences and even offering language assistance.” No more waiting for customer service; Instant support is chat only. AI is also revolutionizing the way we find the best travel deals. With dynamic pricing, AI algorithms analyze market trends to offer competitive prices on flights and accommodation. This means artificial “With smart pricing strategies enabled by intelligence, it means you can save a lot on that luxury resort or find a discounted flight to your dream destination.”
What do we humans think about all this? Will robots take control? According to Oliver Wyman’s survey of 1,100 leisure travelers in the US and Canada who use Gen AI for travel planning, inspiration or booking, 84% are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the quality of recommendations. Another recent survey from Expedia of 20,000 respondents found that almost 40% of people would use Gen AI for tasks like researching hotels, comparing flights, and getting ideas for things to do. Maybe we are in the early stages of a new relationship and things will get worse when we get tired…
Rafat Ali, co-founder of US travel media and intelligence company Skift, says that from a consumer perspective, after the initial excitement, Generation AI has not “set the world on fire” but “a lot of possibilities are coming”. Ali says this “could signify the end of the ‘search box tyranny’ that has existed since the first internet booking sites appeared in the mid-nineties.” “Generative AI can be used anywhere, whether it’s a text chatbot, voice commands, or ‘Where is this place?'” He says. It’s already changing the way you search, whether it’s a photo or video upload you say or ‘Find me a place like this’. It’s all possible now, so the way we search for travel will become much more informal, and you could argue it’s inspiring because it’s not so structured. “
Henry Coutinho-Mason, trend forecaster and author The future is normalagrees: “The AI generation, especially as voice inputs become more commonplace, will mean that travel planning will become more like a conversation rather than the current pop-up search filters. But it will also transform the travel experience in more subtle but equally pleasant ways. Real-time translation will make communication seamless while traveling.” will bring; In case of canceled flights or lost luggage, AI will step in and automatically navigate the bureaucracy; After the trip, it will automatically create movies similar to Apple’s Memories or Google’s Photo Stack, but much smarter; animations, music, will add voice-overs and cinematic effects.”
Travel search engine Kayak became an “early adopter” by connecting ChatGPT to its “Best Time to Travel” tool; “We train and use AI to help predict price trends and surface the most relevant content,” says Matthias Keller, chief scientist and senior vice president of technology at travel search engine Kayak. A compilation of millions of reviews from real travelers to help make personalized recommendations to travelers and identify and present the best hotel images.”
Ali concludes: “The promise of AI is that if you’re a user logged in to a platform that knows your history, how you’ve traveled and what you’ve booked for before, then matching the right kind of results seems to be much more important. Airbnb is more promising.” “He said it will be completely different next year. I’m looking forward to it because it’s a company that has the resources and creativity to come up with something like this.”
Here are six ways the AI Generation will change the way we plan, book and experience travel in 2024:
conversational idea
Holiday planning often starts with typing something like “Best winter sunbathing spots” into Google and then clicking on various links to articles that are usually behind a paywall. Generation AI is changing this with the emergence of conversational thought. Companies like Expedia and Kayak have already built ChatGPT windows into their websites, so you can chat with the bot like a friend on WhatsApp. You can write a full paragraph for your summary and go from there; You don’t have to worry about keywords and can continue asking follow-up questions. Expedia will automatically save recommended hotels for a specific “trip” in the app, ready for you to compare and book if you choose.
Special travel plans
Creating an itinerary can take hours of cross-referencing and planning, but Tripadvisor’s new ChatGPT integration can do it in seconds. You can enter your destination, dates, people you’re traveling with, and your interests, and it’ll provide an hourly stream of recommendations with photos for each day you’re there. What’s really smart is that these recommendations are made based on a database of over a billion user reviews. The itinerary can then be easily modified, saved and shared.
Selected inspiration
Many people get their first idea of where they might want to go on holiday from social media or from a friend, but when it comes to deciding where to stay, it can become even more difficult if you don’t have a specific hotel in mind. Bridging the gap between inspiration and bookings, Booking.com’s new ChatGPT-powered AI Travel Planner creates a deep, detailed visual list based on the parameters you want to provide (like somewhere near the sea or not too touristy). -Links to view hotels in more detail. Users can go back and forth between chatbot conversations and the Booking.com app interface until they decide. When they are ready, the reservation is completed with a single tap.
Deepfake invitations
Many people associate “deepfakes” with nefarious practices such as disrupting geopolitics with fake videos of presidential speeches (this happened in 2023, when hackers used artificial intelligence to create a convincing simulacrum of President Putin that was broadcast on Russian television). What about deepfake Tom Cruise? So funny. Inspired by this widely shared TikTok meme, Virgin Voyages turned its official brand ambassador, Jennifer Lopez, into a charitable deepfake called “Jen AI” that will appear in a customizable video travel invitation you can send to friends or family. Just enter your names, the event, how you like to celebrate, and where you want to go. How can you say no to J-Lo?
Social reservations
Bridging the gap between short video content and vacation bookings on social media, Layla is an AI-powered start-up that includes a direct messaging-enabled Instagram Travel Planner. Co-founder Saad Saeed said in a statement: “Visual search is the future of travel for young consumers. Our product offers users exactly what they want, in the medium they love to consume and on the platforms where they spend most of their time. With a few simple swipes of your finger, you can ask Layla to find Maldives-like beaches in a more affordable, tourist-free destination. From a few simple Instagram DM exchanges, Layla will recommend the best flights, accommodations and activities based on your budget and interests, as well as video content.
virtual guides
Another innovator is Tailbox, which wants to bring together interactive maps, exclusive experiences, social gatherings and local knowledge in one “user-friendly app.” Co-founder Bayazid Maliko said in a statement: “Imagine walking through Rome and receiving a real-time, AI-generated narrative about the Colosseum, tailored specifically to your interest in ancient history, while someone else might receive a story focused on architectural wonders. of the monument. AI holds the key to unlocking them.” You might even imagine wandering around Paris listening to the voices of long-dead heroes come to life under the guidance of, say, the late French singer Edith Piaf (after all, Warner Music Group is using AI to recreate her voice to tell the story in its upcoming movie Piaffe).