Corporate travel stakeholders are becoming more comfortable with artificial intelligence (AI). Some expect that familiarity could lead to an increased role in the space, including a potential chatbot revival.
According to Marilyn Markham, VP of AI and automation strategy for , users were once excited about the chatbot, but now they “scream to get a human consultant” when they have to interact with one.
Still, many of those same users have found AI-powered assistants such as ChatGPT to be effective. The question is whether the sector can “marry the two” to create the chatbots once dreamed of, Markham said during an interview in the PhocusWire studio at .
“Can we get a really smart assistant that is [acceptable for] today's generation, infuse it with enough travel knowledge that we now will have the chatbots we actually dreamt about—but revamped with the technology of today?”
To do so, travel companies need to consider both the bots and AI as the actor in the ecosystem.
“We see that as travelers and travel arrangers and managers use AI as their assistant, we need to make sure that the technologies we deliver are actually AI friendly, and so they become both the user of and the maker of the technology we use,” she said.
In terms of AI adoption, Mat Orrego, CEO and co-founder of Cornerstone Information Systems, said it's gaining traction.
“In the analogy of acting and actors, they're coming out of the wings,” he said. “I've seen less of an experimentation with AI and more of an actualization and use of it.”
Additionally, users are becoming more comfortable with agents. “People's imaginations are really getting triggered now,” Orrego said. “That's an exciting place to be.”
The pair also touched on the importance of data, internal AI efforts and more. Watch the full conversation with PhocusWire senior reporter Morgan Hines below.
Data and AI evolution in corporate travel