S3, Ep. 8: How Artificial Intelligence Will Shape The Travel Industry's Future

No Blackout Dates

Artificial intelligence is a controversial yet fascinating topic, particularly since the release of Chat GPT in November 2022. Matador Network founder and CEO Ross Borden joins No Blackout Dates to discuss how AI will shape the future of travel – from the way we research and plan trips to how we actually book and pay for them. The timing of today’s interview is of particular importance at Matador, as the company’s new AI-powered travel recommendation service Guide Geek officially launches this week.

Ross discusses the idea behind Guide Geek as well as how he sees AI coming to the forefront of nearly every aspect of daily life. The trio also get into where AI falls short and what needs to happen to keep it from taking over the world, Terminator 2 style. Are our darkest dystopian fears about to come true? No one knows. But as Tim says, you can spark a legal joint to the inevitability of progress. Even if that progress takes a while to win over popular opinion.

In Hot Takes, Tim and Eben discuss their personal biggest fears surrounding AI. Both, it seems, are worried about the potential for harmful deepfakes to run rampant across social media. The hosts also fear that many aspects of the media – including travel recommendations and planning – might lose that personal touch.

Relevant links:

• GuideGeek from Matador
• Bing’s A.I. Chat: ‘I Want to Be Alive – from the New York Times
• As A.I. Booms, Lawmakers Struggle to Understand the Technology - from The New York Times
• Eben’s Instagram
• Tim’s Instagram