MakeMyTrip turns to AI to reshape travel booking, inks deal with Microsoft

MakeMyTrip says that this deal with Microsoft for the use of Azure OpenAI Service's GPT technology, will make the platform inclusive as well as accessible for all of Bharat.

This system will use the power of AI and Machine Learning to make travel-related solutions all pervasive, says MakeMyTrip. (HT Tech)

OpenAI's ChatGPT has sent companies across the world scrambling to jump on the artificial intelligence (AI) bandwagon in order not to be left behind by niftier rivals. Now, MakeMyTrip has announced that it, and Microsoft, will work together to bring the benefits of AI to the travel industry.

MakeMyTrip, in a statement said, that to make travel planning more inclusive and accessible, it will introduce voice-assisted booking in Indian languages. This mission will be powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and Azure Cognitive Services, which will converse with the user to offer personalized travel recommendations based on their preferences; curate holiday packages based on variable inputs like occasion, budget, activity preferences, time of travel, etc., and even help book these holiday packages.

How this will work

This system will use the power of AI and Machine Learning to make travel-related solutions all pervasive, says the company. In addition, Microsoft's large language models and Indic language speech models, coupled with MakeMyTrip's language understanding capability and travel domain content will create the base for users to interact with the platform in any Indian language.

The intuitive interface powered by Azure OpenAI Service's GPT technology, will analyse specific user requirements and sift through thousands of options, to recommend, customize and book holiday packages.

It will also summarize hotel reviews, extracting unique traveller impressions, that are cohort specific - whether a solo traveller, business traveller, couple, family, etc. This will elevate the hotel booking experience by offering personalized and relevant information to the user without having to scroll through multiple reviews.

Where things stand

Currently, the beta version of this integration has been introduced in English and Hindi for flights and holiday customers. The company says this will open the online travel ecosystem for every strata in society across the country.

“This Generative AI integration through our collaboration with Microsoft involves simple visual cues and voice commands in native Indian languages that will alter the landscape of travel bookings,” said Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip.

While this will be for the current stage, the next one will be of voice-assisted booking for other transport offerings.

“Bringing together MakeMyTrip's expertise with Microsoft's AI capabilities, including Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, our collaboration will help make travel more inclusive and accessible for travelers across India, with trust and security at the core,” said Sangeeta Bavi, Executive Director, Digital Natives, Microsoft India.