TUI brings ChatGPT to its mobile app in UK

Managed by newly established TUI AI Lab, the generative AI will be piloted on app for UK customers

TUI has unveiled it will pilot ChatGPT on its mobile app and test further applications of generative AI. 

The move by the travel giant originally started as a tech experiment by three TUI tech engineers and the app product teams and has now culminated in the launch of a first pilot on the TUI app in the UK.

The new feature provides customers with “informative” responses about holiday destinations and personalised recommendations for excursions, activities and attraction tickets. 

Depending on the level of detail the customer provides about the type of experience they want, such as culinary activities, adventure excursions, or museum visits, the app will provide a “more refined and relevant” shortlist of descriptions, images and links for suggested experiences. 

Customers can then book experiences directly on tuiexperiences.com via the mobile app.

"Technologies such as generative Artificial Intelligence are influencing our lives and TUI is embracing the opportunities this provides," said Sebastian Ebel, CEO of TUI Group.

“ChatGPT technology can help to simplify processes and services for customers or make information more easily available. 

“Our goal is to be a leader in the use of new technologies and to actively shape the future of tourism.”

The addition of ChatGPT to its mobile app is only one part of an initiative by TUI to implement AI features across all areas of the business. 

TUI said its approach is to “build internal skills and capabilities across the organisation working in conjunction with its strategic cloud partner AWS” and other third parties.

It has created the internal TUI AI Lab to drive the initiative, “acting as an open platform to provide guidance, support and training for all TUI colleagues”. 

The company have introduced ChatGPT training recently to “foster a broader understanding of the challenges and potential of AI” for TUI and the travel industry.

Further trials are underway using generative AI tools, including post-holiday customer communication, automated analysis of knowledge bases to support contact centre teams, and content language translation.

The group also has plans to test other applications that support TUI technology teams in code creation and testing.

Pieter Jordaan, member of the Group Executive Committee & Chief Information Officer of TUI Group, said: “Generative AI is starting to change the way customers are searching and interacting with TUI. 

“We continue to test new technologies that bring benefits to our customers and employees. 

“We can build on our vast experience with machine learning and artificial intelligence which is already integrated within our technology platform. 

“This pilot will give us important insights to further develop the feature.”

Customers using ChatGPT in the TUI mobile app will have no data shared at any time, while developers implemented measures to limit inappropriate responses. 

As the feature is a pilot, TUI Group will collect “constantly” collect feedback to ensure TUI standards are met “at all times”.