Artificial intelligence technology won’t replace agents but it will help to save them time and “amplify” their skills, The Travel Network Group chief executive Gary Lewis told delegates at the consortium’s conference in Munich this week.
TTNG’s new Training Academy will help agents to better understand the uses of artificial intelligence tools and Simon Powell, chief executive at Inspiretec, held workshops at the conference to offer advice.
Lewis told Travel Weekly how AI can help agents to compose letters and emails that they can personalise to offer a “quick, fantastic response” to customers.
More: TTNG pledges to cut carbon footprint by 75% year on year
“AI replaces numbers but not emotional intelligence or face-to-face events,” he said, citing the lively atmosphere during the conference opening party at Munich’s famous Hofbrauhaus beer hall.
Only 260 out of an expected 500 delegates managed to reach the German city for the event because of widespread cancellations and delays amid heavy snowfalls in Bavaria last weekend.
“We overcame adversity for that incredible experience together in an authentic part of Munich,” said Lewis.
Powell told delegates during his workshop: “The big thing to remember is that it is artificial; it does not have emotional intelligence, it can’t read emotions.
“These technologies are not going to replace that emotional aspect.”
He urged agents to try services such as AI chatbot ChatGPT, Grammarly, Hootsuite for social media, blog writing tool Copy.ai and marketing content tool Jasper AI.