Let ChatGPT plan your next vacation

New ChatGPT plugins turn your favorite AI chatbot into a travel agent or personal assistant.

On Thursday, the OpenAI shared that is it gradually rolling out ChatGPT plugins to Expedia and Kayak as well as non-travel related sites Instacart, Klarna, and OpenTable. According to the announcement, OpenAI will uses plugins to "study their real-world use, impact, and safety and alignment challenges" and explore ChatGPT's use cases.

Expedia Group (which owns owns Hotels.com, VRBO, Travelocity, Hotwire, and Orbitz) and Kayak plugins will enable travelers to talk to ChatGPT about travel information gleaned from their sites. Travelers can use the plugin to plan all aspects of a trip: flights, hotels, car rentals and activities. ChatGPT plugins will initially be available only to ChatGPT Plus users, but will gradually roll out wider access "over time," said OpenAI.

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The plugins work within the existing ChatGPT platform. "By simply typing in natural language queries, like 'Where can I fly to from NYC for under $500 in April', users will receive personalized recommendations based on their search criteria and Kayak's historical travel data," Kayak explained in its announcement.

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OpenAI's ChatGPT plugin announcement has essentially laid out a blueprint for the future of travel. Travel companies have adopted new technologies to meet a new surge of interest and adapt to the new ways people now operate since the pandemic started. That includes biometric security screening in airports, contactless check-in at hotels, and making online booking easier and more convenient. For travel booking sites like Expedia and Kayak, it's a natural fit to integrate a conversational AI tool that helps people navigate the often stressful and tedious task of planning a trip. Travel aggregators may have lacked the personal touch and attentive customer service that local, independent travel agencies used to offer. Now, ChatGPT acting as your personal assistant can fill that role.

The same concept applies to other companies launching plugins with OpenAI. The Instacart plugin will help you find recipes and make a shopping list, the OpenTable plugin gives you restaurant recommendations and links to book a reservation, the Klarna plugin gives users personalized shopping advice and helps you find the products you're looking for.

Plugin developers interested in integrating ChatGPT into their own products can sign up for the waitlist on the OpenAI site. It's just the beginning, but one can already imagine a ChatGPT personal assistant for every app you use.