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Suddenly there seems to be a lot of speculation about what kind of impact OpenAI’s new generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, ChatGPT, might have on the travel industry.
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Expedia Group (which owns Hotels.com, Vrbo, Travelocity, Hotwire, Orbitz and more) announced today that it will launch a new ChatGPT plugin to help users simplify travel planning through the OTA platform, and this controversial technology has taken its next step. Promote real-world applications in the sector;
Through Expedia’s partnership with OpenAI, the Chat GPT platform’s capabilities range from being able to perform autonomous tasks for the first time – such as helping users find suitable flights, accommodations, activities and more – to helping users book their trips in an integrated way.
Now, a traveler can plan their perfect itinerary through a virtual “conversation” with a custom-built plugin powered by Expedia Group’s entire 70 petabytes of travel data. Once they’re happy with their selection, they’ll be taken directly to Expedia’s site, where they can take advantage of their member rewards and discounts, to book.
Similarly, competitor site KAYAK (owned by Booking Holdings, Inc.) has also announced its integration into the ChatGPT platform. Optimized to engage in next-level conversations with users, the system serves as a virtual travel assistant that supports responsive and intuitive conversational interactions based on data from Kayak’s search engines.
Searchers can simply type their questions the same way they would ask a human assistant. ChatGPT’s unique natural language understanding and processing capabilities allow it to recognize a user’s unique needs, despite multiple specified requirements, and scan Kayak’s database to provide personalized recommendations.
“Overall, our merger represents a step forward in the travel search world,” Kayak said in today’s announcement. “Using AI technology, we’re making it easier than ever for travelers to plan their dream vacation by providing personalized and intuitive search experiences.”
In its announcement, Expedia Group wrote that AI innovation will transform the company, “from an online travel agency to a technology platform at every stage of the journey for 154M+ travelers and 50K+ partners worldwide.”
With the new AI Plugin a traveler can start a conversation. Discuss #GPT To plan their next trip–complete with up-to-date information on the availability and prices of flights, hotels, vacation rentals, activities and car rentals worldwide. https://t.co/cVgLL6qln9 pic.twitter.com/YAIaj9zrEd
— Expedia Group (@ExpediaGroup) March 23, 2023
Expedia has highlighted some of the game-changing features of the new ChatGPT plugin:
–Travel Planning/PurchasingExpedia’s databank returns 1.2 quadrillion results for a hotel search based on selected date range, price point, room type, etc. So its generative AI feature helps narrow things down based on user input, providing travelers with only options. They are very relevant to them.
–ReservationInteracting with AI products removes unnecessary complexities to support travelers’ confidence in booking their trip. A price tracking tool is based on past airfares to show a traveler when is the best time to book certain flights.
–Post-bookingWhen things go wrong or plans change unexpectedly, Expedia’s AI virtual agent is always on hand to help travelers resolve issues quickly. To date, the OTA has generated more than 30 million chatbot interactions, saving eight million total hours for customer service agents.
–Fraud preventionAI can sense when user behavior patterns deviate from the norm, allowing Expedia to intervene before account abuse or fraud occurs.
–Personalized serviceThe traveler journey on Expedia’s product website has been enhanced with the ability to instantly review more than 360,000 web campaigns to ensure users are presented with only the information that matters most to them.
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