If you know me, you know I’m pretty excited about AI. I’ve talked before in this column about how making friends with AI is a smart move for travel professionals. Some of you may have also attended my Hot Topic Tuesday conversation with Richard Earls, creator of the virtual assistant Tobi AI. You’ve probably also heard me (or Jackie) talking in our town hall meetings about how the travel business is a relationship business, and while AI and other technological advancements can make aspects of our work easier, they also make it necessary for us to cultivate our interpersonal skills and do more of the human work that makes our industry what it is.

While I’ve said a lot about AI’s potential benefits, today I wanted to try something slightly different. I wanted to show you an example of why I don’t think AI can replace the true human touch anytime soon.

The paragraph below is what happens when I ask a generative AI tool (ChatGPT in this case) to write a paragraph about the relationship business of travel from the perspective of me, Mike Foster. Let’s have a look…

In the travel industry, relationships are the cornerstone of success. At Nexion Travel Group-Canada, we understand that our partnerships with travel advisors, suppliers, and clients are built on trust and collaboration. These relationships enable us to deliver personalized experiences that go beyond mere transactions. As we navigate an ever-changing travel landscape, it’s our commitment to these connections that sets us apart. By fostering strong, meaningful relationships, we empower our advisors to provide exceptional service, ensuring that every journey we help create is memorable. Together, we are not just booking trips; we are building lifelong connections.

Not bad! There’s nothing here, at least to my eyes, that would immediately give away that this was not actually written by a human being. But when I look a little closer, I realize something funny. There’s also nothing to indicate that it was written by a real person. Now, in the pre-AI world, that statement wouldn’t have made much sense. But in today’s world, we’re able to notice when a piece of writing specifically lacks any sense of humanity. While there’s nothing specifically wrong with the above paragraph, it doesn’t exactly convey a sense of familiarity or geniality that you would expect from someone you’ve known for years, with whom you’ve built a strong rapport and feel comfortable speaking naturally.

Of course, sometimes in the business world, formality is a must, and this is where AI tools can help us. But I thought this was a good way to illustrate exactly what AI cannot do (at least not yet). It can’t replicate that je ne sais quoi feeling of actually connecting with another person. Maybe some AI’s can pull it off better than others (just like people), but if you ask me, I think the demand for, and the value of, this type of deeply human connection is only going to grow in this brave new technological world of ours.

 Mike