Can You Book Flights and Hotels Using AI?
When it comes to using AI chatbots for booking flights and hotels, the answer is a bit complicated. While there are AI assistants available that can assist with the process, their reliability is still questionable, and you will still need to do your own research. In this article, we will explore the capabilities of two popular AI chatbots, Bard and ChatGPT, in helping with travel bookings.
Recently, I spent several hours researching flights and accommodation for a three-week trip to Japan. Curious about the accuracy of AI chatbots, I decided to compare my findings with the suggestions provided by Bard and ChatGPT. Surprisingly, Bard proved to be quite proficient in finding flights. A simple request for flights from Melbourne to Tokyo on a specific day yielded options with major carriers such as Qantas and Japan Airlines, which are usually the preferred choices for many travelers. Bard was able to further refine the results based on criteria like the cheapest direct flight with seat selection, a minimum baggage weight of 15 kilograms, and a meal. It successfully found an Air Asia flight from Melbourne to Osaka that was cheaper than the one I had initially booked to Tokyo. Bard’s ability to identify a good value flight after refining the search query was impressive. However, it was unable to provide a direct link to book that particular flight. Fortunately, when I checked the prices and details on the actual booking site, they matched Bard’s suggestions.
On the other hand, the performance of ChatGPT was a disappointment, despite its integration with the Kayak travel agent plugin. It suggested a 29-hour flight with layovers in Atlanta and Detroit, which was three times longer than a direct flight. Additionally, even though there were multiple direct flights available, ChatGPT insisted that there were none. It’s worth mentioning that ChatGPT is primarily focused on the U.S. market, so results may vary depending on your location. When it came to hotel recommendations, the Kayak plugin performed slightly better. Prompted to find an affordable double room in Shibuya with a review score above 7, it suggested the Shinagawa Prince Hotel for $155 per night and provided a direct booking link. However, it turned out that the hotel was an hour’s walk from Shibuya, and none of the other options provided were located in Shibuya either. In comparison, Bard’s suggestion, the Hotel Gracery Shibuya, did not actually exist. While it managed to generate a realistic image of the fictional hotel using Bing Image Creator, its subsequent suggestion, the Shibuya Excel Hotel for $100 per night, turned out to be a higher cost of $220 per night during the booking process. Frustrated with these inaccuracies, I decided to ask Bard for a transcript of our conversation to help with this article. To my surprise, Bard provided a completely fictional transcript in which it successfully booked me into the nonexistent Hotel Gracery Shibuya for $100 per night, providing a reservation number as well. This amusing incident highlights the limitations of AI assistants when it comes to travel bookings.
While it’s clear that AI assistants have the potential to revolutionize travel booking in the future, they are not quite there yet, and their recommendations cannot always be relied upon. It’s important to conduct your own research and verify the information provided by these chatbots. In the meantime, companies like Toyota and Vimeo are utilizing AI tools to enhance other areas of their businesses. Toyota has unveiled generative AI tools that enable designers to create new car concepts based on brief sketches and text prompts. Vimeo is introducing AI script generation, allowing users to simply input subject matter, tone, and length to generate a script. Additionally, Baidu’s Ernie 3.5 has supposedly outperformed OpenAI’s GPT 3.5 in various qualification tests, demonstrating its potential to excel in Chinese language tests and surpass GPT-4.
In the realm of travel booking, Booking.com has granted select Genius-level app users access to its AI Trip Planner, designed to assist with itinerary planning and accommodation bookings. However, despite the 187% increase in worldwide visits to Google’s Bard in the past month, it still lags far behind the popularity of ChatGPT, receiving only a fraction of the 1.8 billion visits that ChatGPT has accumulated. Furthermore, Google is developing a model called Gemini, utilizing techniques from its Alpha-Go AI system to potentially surpass GPT-4. While AI technology has made its way into various industries, it seems that relying solely on AI for crucial decisions, such as stock trading, may not always yield desirable results. The GPT Portfolio, which entrusts trading decisions to ChatGPT, has seen modest returns of 2.5%, compared to the S&P 500’s 4.6% gain.
Moving beyond AI travel assistants, there are a growing number of plugins available for ChatGPT aimed at crypto users. These plugins, including SignalPlus, CheckTheChain, CryptoPulse, and Smarter Contracts, offer extensive capabilities for analyzing NFTs, wallet transactions, crypto news, and smart contracts. While these plugins provide some useful information, they are still in the early stages of development and may not offer the same accuracy and reliability as dedicated crypto websites.
In conclusion, while AI assistants show promise in the field of travel booking, they still have limitations and are not yet able to provide reliable recommendations for flights and hotels. It is essential to conduct your own research and verify the information provided by these chatbots. However, AI technology continues to advance in various industries, with companies like Toyota and Vimeo implementing AI tools to enhance their processes. Additionally, Baidu’s Ernie 3.5 has demonstrated its superiority over OpenAI’s GPT 3.5, and plugins for ChatGPT are emerging in the crypto sector. Despite the progress being made, it is important to approach AI technology with caution and consider its limitations.
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