Etihad Becomes The Latest Airline To Embrace AI Chatbots

The Abu Dhabi-based airline is offering passengers another way to book flights - by using artificial intelligence.

Etihad Airways will soon provide customers with the option to book flights using artificial intelligence. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier has entered into a partnership with Astra Tech, which will allow bookings to be made through the technology company's chat app, BOTIM.

Thanks to the new technology, Etihad Airways customers will be able to book flights by simply typing in the basic details of the service they need. BOTIM will then complete the booking on the customer's behalf.

BOTIM is a worldwide messaging and calling app. One of the services provided by the BOTIM app that Etihad Airways customers will be able to use is a generative pre-trained transformer (GPT), something that has grown in popularity worldwide since the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT in November 2022.

In addition to offering an English language service to customers, Astra Tech has said that its GPT will be the first to also work in Arabic. Astra Tech purchased BOTIM last year, and one of the app's biggest investors is the security firm G42.

In a statement, Astra Tech said,

"Through the BOTIM GPT module developed by Astra Tech, flights and other travel-related services are integrated into the Botim app, offering a convenient and innovative way for customers to book Etihad flights."

It is not just in the booking process that Etihad Airways is making use of technology. The airline recently introduced a free onboard chat service for all passengers on its widebody aircraft, allowing passengers to use popular chat apps such as WhatsApp, WeChat, and Messenger throughout their flight.

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Artificial intelligence is slowly becoming more widespread in the aviation industry. Airlines in India, including the flag carrier Air India, are beginning to embrace artificial intelligence in their operations. Meanwhile, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) recently teamed up with the security technology company Pangiam to increase the use of artificial intelligence in its security screening processes.

Whether it is in addressing maintenance issues or in assisting with ground operations or flight planning, the uses of artificial intelligence in aviation are only just becoming known - it is, after all, still a very new technology. However, the possibilities provide an exciting insight into the future of the industry, and this new way of booking flights on Etihad Airways is just one of the ways in which artificial intelligence is likely to feature more heavily in all of our lives going forward.

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What do you think of Etihad Airways' partnership with Astra Tech to embrace the use of artificial intelligence? Would you book a flight in this way? Have you already used artificial intelligence in your day-to-day life? Let us know by commenting below.

Source: Reuters

Journalist - Steven has a varied background in communications, and it was this passion for writing combined with his in-depth knowledge of the aviation industry that led him to Simple Flying. A keen linguist, he also has experience in translation and interpreting. Based in Palma, Spain