Tapping AI in tourism

ANYONE who isn’t living under a rock has surely heard repeatedly of the term AI in the last few months. But what is AI? An acronym for artificial intelligence, it refers to the simulation of human intelligence with the use of computer systems. The use of the term has surged particularly since the launch of ChatGPT, an open-source chatbot by OpenAI, in November 2022. Even though artificial intelligence has been around for decades, with the term officially coined in the 1950s, ChatGPT’s popularity has brought this term to every home. The number of users grew to 100 million in three months, with more than a billion site visits every month. ChatGPT’s popularity can be attributed mostly to its capability of processing natural language and the ability to have human-like conversations with the chatbot, rendering solutions, composing articles and assisting humans in day-to-day tasks.

In the words of Elon Musk, “we are not far from dangerously good AI”, and one cannot help but wonder if AI will prove to be a boon or a bane for humanity. It has left public opinion divided; on the one hand, people believe it will lead to widespread job losses. On the other hand, advocates believe AI will only make way for new jobs by automating mundane tasks and allowing us to take on bigger, qualitatively better roles. Regardless of which side one is on, it is worth acknowledging that AI has the potential to transform many industries for good. Some sectors such as automotive and cybersecurity have already started to see the impact of AI. Another industry that is starting to use AI is the tourist trade.

Like any other industry, tourism can also benefit from AI by improving customer experiences as well as saving costs for businesses. AI can help businesses offer more personalised and sustainable travel options by using technologies such as machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), and computer vision to understand and serve customers better, reduce costs and waste, enhance safety and security, and promote sustainable practices. However, there are challenges that AI poses, such as data privacy issues, probable job losses and a possible lack of personal interaction with customers. Therefore, businesses need to be careful and thoughtful about the potential impacts of AI on their customers, employees, and the wider community and environment, and use the technology responsibly and ethically.