As a seasoned public relations professional, Lakesha Cole prioritizes efficiency and time management. When she realized her family’s summer vacation was two weeks away and she had nothing planned, she chose to work smarter and not harder.
The millennial mom of three used ChatGPT to plan her entire family vacation from beginning to end. She’d used the technology previously for business needs. However, this time she tapped into artificial intelligence to get her family where they needed to go.
Her children prefer to travel by train so Cole used ChatGPT to locate train stops, excursions, accommodations, and family-friendly fun on each train route between their home in Tampa and Miami. Once she’d determined which route had the best options, she selected the southbound route and let ChatGPT plan the remainder of her itinerary.
“I am about finding things that give me back time in my day and ChatGPT has been that tool for me where I can easily access the information that I need,” Cole said.
The upcoming Amtrak adventure is Cole’s first time traveling with her children without her husband. It was important to her to have every detail ironed out so she turned to ChatGPT for additional assistance.
Whereas many people view ChatGPT through a fearful lens, Cole has a positive attitude about the developing technology. Since its emergence, she encourages her employees to use the resource to their benefit to simplify tasks without sacrificing accuracy.
“I said, ‘Give me a website link for each travel activity,’ and it kicked back my full travel itinerary with the company’s website links so all I had to do was click over and buy the tickets,” she said.
Cole is ahead of the game when it comes to implementing ChatGPT into travel planning. In fact, according to CNBC, many travel brands have been using ChatGPT and other AI for years unbeknownst to travelers.
“Booking.com has been using AI and machine learning for over a decade,” Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking Holdings, told CNBC. “It is ingrained in the customer journey at every step on our platform.”
Some of these features include providing tailored travel recommendations and translating content into over 40 different languages and dialects. Fogel believes there will always be a need for the human touch in the travel industry. However, the efficiency of ChatGPT will provide a heightened experience for travelers with limited error and more options.
“The innovation happening in travel should be all about making the human interaction between travelers and supplier partners even richer while creating efficiencies at scale,” he said.
Cole is encouraging more parents to use ChatGPT when planning future family trips. She says the time she saved crafting her itinerary gave her back more time to spend with family.
“Time is the most precious commodity in life and you just don’t get it back,” she said.