Otto The Agent, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered business travel assistant, has launched after nine months in closed beta.
The assistant is backed by Madrona Venture and former CEOs of Orbitz, Expedia and Concur.
“Otto is about freedom and simplicity,” said Michael Gulmann, CEO and founder of Otto The Agent. Gulmann formerly served as SVP of consumer product of Expedia and as chief product officer and senior vice president of marketing at Egencia.
“Business travelers deserve more than a search box. Otto acts like a true executive assistant for travel, anticipating needs and solving problems in real time. When things go wrong, like when an airline grounds its flights, Otto steps in like your best EA would, finding new options and keeping you on schedule without the stress.”
The conversational assistant is able to complete “full travel transactions” within the user experience, which starts with a simple user prompt. The company said users are not redirected to websites nor required to reenter personal details or payment information. Transactions can be completed by telling Otto to “book it,” according to the company’s website.
Steve Singh, founder of Concur, executive chairman and CEO of Spotnana and executive chairman of Otto the Agent and Direct Travel, said Otto brings concierge-level intelligence once reserved for high-level executives and deploys it at scale using AI.
“The future of business travel is personal, predictive and effortless,” Singh said.
The assistant is able to connect with a traveler’s calendar and can learn personal preferences, also proactively working on trip planning. It automatically handles flights, hotels and loyalty information and can adjust itineraries if plans change.
Otto The Agent has partnered with Direct Travel to launch pilot programs with two unnamed companies.
Travelers can access Otto via the web, mobile app or through email interfaces with integrations through Microsoft 365 and Google calendars. Otto also integrates with Spotnana and Booking.com. In case a user would prefer to speak with a human, Otto can provide a telephone number to call with servicing through Direct Travel.