JUTTHANA JAIDEE
Imagine planning a vacation by telling your smartphone, "I want to take a four-day trip to Los Angeles in June" and having it spit out a perfect itinerary. That future might not quite be here yet – but with the power of AI and software like ChatGPT, (GPT being short for Generative Pre-trained Transformer), a big step in that direction has definitely been indeed taken.
Hassle-Free Planning
ChatGPT, the two-year-old marquis product of San Francisco-based OpenAI, can analyze and summarize extensive data from different sources available on the Internet, and it has started to disrupt many tech-diven industries, including travel. Unlike existing AI tools, the generative capabilities of ChatGPT enable it to understand and respond conversationally, travel suggestions to both industry professionals and the wider public of travelers. For example, Oded Battat, general manager at Traveland in Bridgeport, Connecticut, recently received 14 activity suggestions from ChatGPT for his clients visiting Tuscany. While he was already familiar with the proposed places and activities, Battat was especially appreciative of the convenience of getting all the information collected and delivered in a format ready for communication to clients.
Redefining the Travel Experience
Beyond just suggestions, ChatGPT can actually generate personalized itineraries for travelers based on the details provided, such as desired destination, time of year, and interests. These proposals include vivid descriptions, making the travel anticipation even more enjoyable. By including additional details like food preferences, users get updated suggestions. However, the software does have limitations; for example, although filters are in place to weed out unreliable or sketchy information, they´re not perfect, so additional research is usually still warranted. On balance, though, the service is easy to utilize and has the potential to be very helpful indeed.
A Potential Game-changer
While some fear the progressing capabilities of systems like these might jeopardize professionals' role in the travel industry, Chad Burt, a co-president of Outside Agents, a widely used online platform for travel agents, sees each technological advancement as an additional tool, ChatGPT. According to Burt, this software is a boon for providing a solid starting point for itineraries and helping save some basic research effort, but the information it generates will still need fact-checking and enhancement by a knowledgeable travel agent.
The New Era of AI-Powered Travel
Major corporations like Expedia have already harnessed the power of AI to personalize recommendations and improve their online customer service. According to Expedia CEO Peter Kern, ChatGPT signifies a "significant new step," and his company explores it as a promising avenue for creating a more interactive experience with customers by allowing queries through speech or typing instead of traditional pointing and clicking. Additionally, a combination of Expedia data with ChatGPT's analysis might lead to better personalization of recommendations. Ailing Calfskin, a machine learning professor, predicts other travel companies, including tour operators, will follow the same path, developing generative AI systems to accomplish specific tasks.
Use ChatGPT to Make Your Travel Plans Now
Although concerns exist regarding the impact of AI like ChatGPT on job opportunities in the hospitality industry, it's clear that this technology has transformative implications for travel planning. The future of travel may well involve a blend of advanced, generative AI and human touch, ensuring an unprecedented, effortless, and delightful travel planning experience. Currently there are two versions availabele: GPT3.5, which is free, and GPT 4 Turbo, which in exchange for additional features, quicker speed, and much more recent information, including real-time data in many cases, costs $20 per month; for more insight on which to choose, check out this article.
Comments
Let me be a contrarian of sorts. A.I has been overhyped, the way only Hollywood can
A.I has come a long way since mid 80s. But it will not replace specialized knowledge. For one, Any non-hydro-carbon entity (in this case a silicon chip) till now, is not sentient. And probably never be. Thus ChatGPT and its great-grand children will never be. [hold that thought for a minute]
Earlier this year, I put a few wellknown programs through paces. They did not do so well
I know New York, Mumbai, London, Singapore, and two other cities very well. Starting with nearly four decades in NYC. A lot of localized and specific knowledge resides in our memories, and rarely committed to public digital information. All significant events in these cities were missed as well.
Now back to these ChatGPT clones. Whatever is searchable and cacheable, these Large Language Models will use to provide you, the customer, with to a reasonably good level. All these programs do, is rank order in a correct gramatical sentences, what it thinks you want ! But will be beat an experienced Flesh and Blood TA ? Yes, lazy or generalist TAs will probably lose out, but not really clued ones. I would never tell someone to drive into the city on March 17th, or on ThanksGiving Day. The list of things are endless.
Those $100,000 robots in the assembly line do fster and more accurate job than high-school widget fitter; but that only increased the demand for better trained and educated humans on the shop-floor that can manage and keep an eye on the occasional malfunctions.
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I recently used ChatGPT to pinpoint key musts for a visit to Rome and Florence, and I must say, it was pretty helpful.
Run ChatGPT for MIA or MAD ? And compare it against your knowledge of the same