Online travel agency Expedia has announced that it will soon introduce an AI assistant that will power features such as search, itinerary creation, trip planning, and real-time updates on flight delays and more as part of its efforts to stay ahead of competitors in the travel ecosystem. .
The company, which operates a variety of online travel aggregators and metasearch engines, is debuting a bot named Romie that is trained using a combination of in-house and OpenAI models. This bot helps users search for hotels, create travel itineraries, and make small changes. The bot can be included in iMessage chat groups or you can talk to him one-on-one on WhatsApp. For these apps, the bot is behind the number and leverages ChatGPT.
You can chat with Romie by mentioning the bot in iMessage and ask him to summarize the itinerary you created or suggest restaurants. The bot can direct you to her Expedia app, which includes links to itineraries and suggestions.
Expedia is also introducing smart search to its site, where users can describe the type of hotel they want instead of selecting a filter. For example, when searching for a hotel, type in “rooftop and ocean views” and your search will show you the best hotels with those characteristics.
The company is testing all of these features with a limited audience through its EG Labs program, which allows US-based users to try out new features.
Video credit: Expedia
Expedia said it pulls data from a variety of sources, including AccuWeather and Yelp Network, to customize its searches and bots. The company said this allows it to keep travelers up-to-date on flight changes and weather changes. For example, you can also suggest hotels near the airport if your flight is cancelled.
Expedia began experimenting with AI last year by introducing an in-app travel planning experience with ChatGPT. The company appears to be currently working on integrating AI into its core feature set.
Expedia's rivals are also making some moves. Booking.com will introduce an AI-powered trip planning feature in June 2023, and Airbnb is testing AI-powered review summaries, aiming to build what the company calls the “ultimate concierge.” Kayak launched new conversation tools and a screenshot-based price comparison feature in March.
Startups are also looking to AI-powered capabilities to compete with existing travel platforms. Costanoa Ventures-backed Mindtrip is building an AI travel agency for users, and Vancouver-based Pilot uses AI to make travel planning more social.
Layla, which counts FirstMinutes Capital, M13, Booking.com co-founder Andy Phillips, Skyscanner co-founder Barry Smith and Paris Hilton as investors, builds end-to-end travel recommendations with the help of existing data and creators. I'm building an app. content. The company also acquired FLYR.com and Roam Around, an AI itinerary company backed by Jason Calacanis, earlier this year.
Rathi Murthy, chief technology officer at Expedia Group, told TechCrunch over the phone that despite intense competition in the space, the company's solution stands out because it plays multiple roles. He said he was confident that this would happen.
“Everyone talks about AI assistants, but for me, like a travel agent, personal assistant, or concierge, an AI assistant is always there to make changes, modify your trip, and be proactive throughout the process. It's a game changer. […] We were able to take the Expedia experience outside of the ecosystem and into channels like iMessage and WhatsApp and leverage that. I think this is unique. ” he said.
Murthy said the only reason Romie can't be used in WhatsApp group chats yet is not because of technical challenges, but because the dynamics of how the bot will work in that setting are still unknown. .
Expedia also announced the launch of a cross-date price comparison tool, an AI-powered help page, and guest review overview as part of the spring update.