Can AI Transform Travel in 2024? From Deepfake Invites to Insta-generated Itineraries - AOL

Excerpt from AOL

Here are six ways Gen AI will change the way we plan, book and experience travel in 2024

Conversational ideation

Usually, holiday planning starts with typing something like “Best winter sun destinations” into Google, and then clicking various links to articles that are often behind a paywall. Gen AI is changing that with the emergence of conversational ideation. Companies such as Expedia and Kayak have already embedded ChatGPT windows into their websites so you can chat with the bot as you would a friend on WhatsApp. You can type in a full paragraph for your brief and go from there - you don’t have to worry about key words and you can keep asking follow up questions. On Expedia it will then automatically save hotels that have been suggested to a dedicated “trip” in the app ready for you to compare and book if you so choose.

Custom itineraries

Putting together an itinerary can take hours of cross-referencing and planning but Tripadvisor’s new ChatGPT integration can do it in seconds. You can input your destination, dates, people you are travelling with and interests, and it will come up with a stream of hour-by-hour suggestions for each day you are there, complete with photos. What’s really clever is that makes these recommendations based on a database of more than a billion user reviews. The itinerary can then easily be modified, saved and shared.

Curated inspiration

Many people get an initial idea of where they might want to go on holiday from social media or a friend, but when it comes to deciding on where to stay it canbecome trickier, unless you have a specific hotel in mind. Closing the gap between inspiration and reservations, Booking.com's new ChatGPT-powered AI Trip Planner generates a visual list properties and prices based on whatever parameters you want to provide (such as near the sea or in a place that’s not too touristy), with deep-links to view the hotels in more detail. Users can go back and forth between their chatbot conversation and the Booking.com app interface until they make up their mind. When they are ready, a single tap will complete the reservation.

Deepfake invitations

Most people associate “deepfakes” with nefarious practises such as disrupting geo-politics with fake videos of presidential speeches (this happened in 2023 when hackers used AI to create a convincing simulacrum of President Putin that aired on Russian TV). But what about deepfake Tom Cruise? He’s hilarious. Taking inspiration from this widely shared TikTok meme is Virgin Voyages, which has turned its official brand ambassador Jennifer Lopez into a benevolent deepfake called “Jen AI” who will appear in a customisable video travel invitation that you can send to friends or family. Just input your names, the occasion, how you like to celebrate and where you want to cruise to. How can you say no to J-Lo?

Social bookings

Bridging the gap between short-form video content on social media and holiday bookings, Layla is an gen-AI powered start-up that features an Instagram Travel Planner that is activated by direct messaging. Co-founder Saad Saeed said in a statement: “Visual search is the future of travel for younger consumers. Our product gives users exactly what they want, in a medium they like to consume and on 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 destination that is more affordable and is not inundated with tourists. From a few simple Instagram DM exchanges, Layla will suggest the best flights, accommodation and activities in line with your budget and interests, alongside accompanying video content.”

Virtual guides

Another innovator is Tailbox, which wants to bring together interactive maps, custom experiences, social meet-ups, and local knowledge in one “user-friendlyapplication”. 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 get a story focusing on the architectural marvels of the same monument. AI holds the key to unlocking them.” One could even imagine listening to the voices of long-dead heroes come to life as you walk around say, Paris, with the late French singer Edith Piaf as your guide (after all, Warner Music Group is using AI to recreate her voice to narrate its forthcoming movie Piaf).

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