New Delhi, May 13 (IANS). Online travel platform ixigo has launched a new AI-based version of its app. The company says that in future, travel planning will not be done just by clicking on the screen, but by talking to a smart AI travel companion. The company introduced this new platform in its major tech event ‘Ixigo Next’.
Ixigo co-founder and group co-CEO Rajneesh Kumar explained about this in detail while talking to news agency IANS. He said that a multimodal AI assistant named ‘Tara’ has been added to this new app, which will help passengers in finding, planning and managing journeys.
He said that now users will have less need to book tickets in the traditional way and they will be able to fulfill their travel needs through simple conversation.
Rajneesh Kumar told IANS, “The new ixigo app has been designed as an AI-native platform from the beginning. He said that the company has not just worked on adding AI features to the app, but has rebuilt the entire platform keeping AI at the center.”
He said, “We believe that in the future, the travel industry will be driven by AI-based agents. AI that can understand the user’s needs, can help itself and provide continuous assistance before, during and after the trip.”
Rajneesh Kumar told that users can talk to Tara in English, Hindi and Hinglish. This facility is available in all three mediums: voice, text and tap. The company is preparing to add support for other Indian languages soon.
He said that Tara is not just a separate API-based feature like normal chatbots, but is made a part of the core experience of the app.
Rajneesh Kumar said that people often consider AI as just an additional feature, but real change is not possible with it. “If you really want to build an AI-based platform, the entire system has to be built from the ground up based on AI,” he said.
He said that ixigo always focuses on understanding the problems of the users and finding solutions to them. The company first identifies what kind of problems the passengers are facing and then develops technology accordingly.
Regarding the impact of AI on jobs, Rajneesh Kumar said that with the advent of every new technology, initially there is a fear that jobs will be lost. But in reality, technology automates tasks that are repetitive or less interesting.
He said that if a technology creates more new jobs than the jobs it destroys, its overall impact will be considered positive. According to him, AI will also give rise to new types of jobs and opportunities.
Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to people to postpone foreign travel for a year, Rajneesh Kumar said that decisions should be taken keeping in mind the current needs of the country.
He said, “I believe that the Prime Minister has made this appeal after careful consideration. Therefore, we should respect and follow it.”
–IANS
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