An intelligent travel assistant

It was way back in 1985 I first began exploring the use of AI expert systems to automate the travel process. At that time a close friend worked for Mad Intelligent Systems in Santa Clara California. I was at United Airlines and I already had a thirst for emerging technology. I believed that automating the travel process would be made easier. This belief was reinforced when I viewed the Knowledge Navigator video that was presented by John Scully of Apple at MacWorld in 1989. I also have spoke about intelligent agents for travel in my blog post from October 2006

Technology Review (published by MIT) cites Intelligent Software Assistants being one of the major trends to watch in 2009. In that article it mentions a new Silicon Valley startup named Siri which is a spin off of research done at SRI International for the DOD.

When online travel was first introduced, the theme promoted by many OTAs was an automated travel agent. Of course this was nothing more than marketing spin as no OTA uses expert systems to enhance the travel planning and booking process. In addition firms such as Rearden Commerce, Trip Chiill and Manticpoint all have used the marketing theme of an intelligent travel assistant. I applaud their efforts, but I still believe the ultimate travel assistant that can act like the Knowledge Navigator is still unrealized and I am hopeful with firms such as Siri, true intelligent travel assistants will emerge over the next few years.

Mobile Technology

In his classic book, Smart Mobs, Howard Rheingold described two possible futures for mobile technology. The first is a highly personalized smartphone that filters content based on personal preferences. In this vision the smartphone becomes an electronic personal assist that provides specific content that matches the user's situation, preferences and location. The other vision is an advertising platform that delivers unsolicited offers to the user based on behavioral information collected both explicitly and implicitly. The iPhone certainly represents the first real handheld computer with strong emphasis on browser based search. In a way the iPhone is delivering on the Knowledge Navigator video vision first presented at Mac World in 1988 by then Apple CEO John Scully. Google's Android mobile platform is an effort to both open up the traditional walled-garden created by telecommunication companies as well as an obvious mobile advertising play. I am beginning to believe that both the visions outlined by Howard back in 2002 are being driven by these two tech giants. I am hopeful that privacy concerns (such as the recent backlash regarding the Facebook Beacon advertising platform) will help reign in the trend towards unsolicited advertising. For 2008 I will be working with PhoCusWright on a new special report on mobile technology. As I dive into the mobile research for this project, I hope to identify how the travel industry can profit by implementing mobile apps for the leisure and business traveler. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for the mobile special report please contact me at norm@traveltechnology.com.