Priceline has launched its artificial intelligence (AI) assistant Penny in Snapchat's AI Sponsored Snaps.
Some Snapchat users now receive a message directly from Priceline when they open the app and can then chat with Penny. Penny carries information users have shared, such as travel dates and number of travelers, through to the Priceline platform, where they can complete a booking.
Priceline is the first travel brand to launch with the AI ad format, the companies said.
"On Snapchat, travel planning is an active conversation with the people Snapchatters trust most. With Penny, we’re bringing that natural behavior into a new format with AI Sponsored Snaps, giving travelers a more conversational and useful way to explore what’s possible, build an itinerary and find the right accommodations all in one place," said Edgar Tapan, head of travel at Snap.
Snap announced its AI Sponsored Snaps feature in April as an extension of its existing Sponsored Snaps, which send ads to users as messages. Snap framed the AI element as beneficial for brands, which can bring their own AI agents to the platform, and for Snapchat users, who can chat with brands' AI agents and get personalized recommendations.
Priceline, which is owned by Booking Holdings and has an existing partnership with Snap, said the launch on AI Sponsored Snaps moves it closer to becoming a "social-first brand."
“AI will define the future of how people plan and book travel, and Priceline has been at the forefront of bringing it into the travel experience through our AI assistant Penny," said Toby Korner, SVP of digital marketing and pricing at Priceline.
"We’re extending Penny beyond Priceline to meet the next generation of travelers at a natural point of inspiration. They can explore destinations and build an itinerary, then seamlessly continue on Priceline with key trip details carried over."
In June, Priceline announced an integration with Anthropic's Claude for Penny. The AI assistant already had search and voice capabilities provided by Google Cloud and OpenAI.