China’s largest travel agency, Ctrip, has unveiled an AI model specifically designed for the tourism industry. Called Xiecheng Wendao, the AI-driven model allows users to ask travel-related questions to help enhance their overall travel experience. Ctrip’s chair, James Liang, explained that the model is still in its early stages and will require further iterations to reach its full potential.
The significance of this development lies in the trend of companies tailoring existing large models with industry-specific data to meet their specific needs. Ctrip’s specialized model is built on a general model, which has been fine-tuned using 20 billion high-quality unstructured streams of tourism data, along with the company’s own real-time data and search algorithms.
During the launch event, Ctrip demonstrated that its AI model will offer recommendations on destinations, hotels, and sightseeing. Additionally, it can provide real-time search results for flights and hotels. The goal is to enhance the travel planning process by offering personalized and accurate information to users.
This approach of developing industry-specific AI models is gaining traction in China. Domestic firms are embracing this strategy, driven by the desire to leverage the rapidly growing technology. The country has recently taken significant steps to regulate generative AI content, making this path a safer choice for Chinese companies.
By adopting a vertical AI model, Ctrip aims to provide a more tailored and enhanced user experience in the tourism industry. The company’s focus on utilizing vast amounts of real-time and relevant data sets it apart in the competitive travel market. Ctrip’s AI model has the potential to revolutionize the way people plan and enjoy their trips by offering comprehensive and personalized recommendations.
As the AI model evolves over time, Ctrip will continue to refine it through an iterative process. The inclusion of industry-specific data, along with their own structured information, will ensure that users receive accurate and up-to-date insights. This approach sets Ctrip’s AI model apart from more generalized models, as it is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the tourism industry.
The introduction of Ctrip’s AI model marks a significant step towards leveraging AI technology to enhance the travel experience. By offering personalized recommendations and real-time search results, Ctrip is poised to become a leader in the travel industry. As the model develops further, it will be interesting to see how it evolves and impacts the future of travel planning.
