Get ready for ‘Gen Gen AI’

In 2023, generative AI came of age. It was the year when millions of us experimented with online chatbots and image generators, awed by the capabilities of this burgeoning technology. From the ability to have “conversations” with fictional characters to near-instantaneously created artworks, generative AI—computer programs that use machine learning and artificial intelligence models to generate text, images, audio and more—has become ever more impressive.

But it’s not just its powerful capabilities that are making headlines, it’s the fact that it’s so easily accessible to all. Move over “digital natives”: “Generation generative AI” has arrived—call it Gen Gen AI for short.  

App chats

While for many, generative AI is a fun toy to experiment with, industries from healthcare to journalism are waking up to its potential—and travel is no exception.

In fact, in April, Expedia Group announced a partnership with ChatGPT, bringing the enormously popular chatbot into Expedia’s app. Travelers can use it as a trip-planning tool, asking it for recommendations for stays or experiences based on budget, dates, or circumstances (like if you’re looking for family-friendly resorts, or a hotel that’s welcoming to LGBTQ+ families).   

The idea is to circumvent that moment of overwhelm when you’re trying to decide where to go on vacation—and find yourself with dozens of open tabs, and far too much choice.

“There are roughly 1.2 quadrillion variables across hotels alone, when you factor in different room types, date ranges and price points,” says Rathi Murthy, CTO and President of Expedia Product and Technology. “We’ve been using AI for years to make travel easier by offering the right options to the right travelers at the right price throughout their journey.” 

AI advice

Machine learning, Murthy explains, is also built into Price Tracking, a members-only feature that can track the price of a flight and help you decide when to book. Meanwhile on Hotels.com, there are AI-powered recommendations that suggest the best room type for travelers, based on 40 factors, such as who’s traveling, where they’re going, and for how long.

“We know it’s difficult to compare apples to apples when looking for places to stay, so we built Smart Shopping,” says Murthy. “It reads through the different attributes of each room—like if there is a king-sized bed, or it’s a suite—and then uses AI to recommend the best one for them.”

Vacation innovations

That recommendation, she adds, is based on signals gathered about their trip, such as what’s popular among solo travelers. Other products that use generative AI include property and amenity answers, which use the technology to sift through guest reviews so travelers don’t have to; and dynamic travel guides that provide insights into hotel prices, weather conditions, and crowd levels for the most-visited cities in the world.

And travelers are ready to see what AI can do for them: While in 2023, just 6%* of U.S. travelers said they used conversational AI to plan a trip, data from a global survey** conducted by Expedia Group indicates that number may dramatically increase. Nearly 40% would now be likely to use generative AI to help find a hotel or vacation rental, a third would use it to compare flight options or simply get inspiration on where to go, and 35% would use it to find activities and things to do. If only it could learn to pack our suitcases too… 

From a 2023 report by NRG
**Based on consumer research conducted among 20,000 respondents across 14 countries by OnePoll between Sept. 12 – Oct. 5, 2023, on behalf of Expedia Brands. 

Kate Bussmann

Writer

Kate Bussmann is an editor at Expedia Group, covering all aspects of culture and style. She has hosted live and online events, written and edited for titles including The Times, The Telegraph, InStyle, Glamour, and Marie Claire, and appeared on NPR, the BBC and Sky News. She has lived in London, New York and Naples, and one day plans to move to Paris.