Bret Taylor, chairman of OpenAI and co-founder of Sierra, believes AI agents will transform travel by replicating the high-touch human experiences that define great trips while enhancing convenience, personalization, and loyalty. He shared that his own family trip to Europe was entirely planned with ChatGPT, underscoring how travelers are already adopting AI as a digital travel agent. Taylor sees the future moving beyond chatbots toward multimodal AI—voice, visuals, and even video—creating richer, more natural interactions. This shift could dramatically reduce the cost of personalized customer service, allowing brands to scale meaningful interactions that drive loyalty. He noted that intermediaries like Expedia, Booking.com, and Airbnb must seize the moment to build compelling AI-powered experiences or risk disruption, comparing today’s AI transition to the early internet and the rise of mobile apps. Taylor emphasized that consumer adoption is happening faster than most companies can adapt, and leaders must act decisively to embrace this new era of AI-driven travel.
In academic partnership with Virscend University, a WASC-accredited institution in Irvine, California.