Air India Achieves Historic Milestone with AI Virtual Assistant ‘Maharaja’ Handling 6,000 Daily Customer Inquiries in Multiple Languages
Air India has made headlines by becoming the first airline to introduce a groundbreaking generative AI virtual assistant named ‘Maharaja.’ Powered by Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI service, Maharaja has revolutionized customer service by efficiently managing over 6,000 daily inquiries in four languages, namely Hindi, English, French, and German. Since its launch in March 2023, this virtual agent has provided prompt responses to over half a million customer questions and continues to enhance its natural language comprehension skills. Interestingly, more innovative AI features are on the horizon, promising to further enhance the overall customer experience.
In the coming months, Air India plans to introduce a range of advanced features, bolstered by cutting-edge patent-pending technologies. These exciting innovations include a unique user experience that seamlessly blends textual and graphical interactions, potentially expediting customer interactions even further. Moreover, as part of its commitment to providing personalized experiences, the Tata Group-owned airline intends to augment its current AI assistant, Maharaja, with data-driven deep-personalization features, taking customer service to new heights.
Maharaja tackles a wide array of customer concerns, covering approximately 1,300 topics such as flight status, baggage allowances, packing limitations, check-in procedures, frequent flyer rewards, airport lounge access, flight modifications, and refunds. According to Air India, the AI agent successfully resolves over 80% of daily inquiries within seconds. For the remaining 15% of cases that require additional support, Maharaja promptly identifies the need and smoothly transfers the inquiry to Air India’s contact center representatives.
Satya Ramaswamy, Air India’s Chief Digital and Technology Officer, emphasizes the immense impact of Large Language Model-driven generative AI capabilities on customer preferences for efficient information and assistance through chat interactions. These generative AI tools automate repetitive tasks like booking, cancellation, and confirmation, enabling human agents to focus on more complex interactions. As part of its ambitious growth strategy, Air India remains committed to leveraging AI technology to enhance customer service.
This significant milestone achieved by Air India reinforces the airline’s commitment to customer-centricity and continual innovation. The introduction of Maharaja has proven to be a game-changer, revolutionizing customer inquiries with its efficiency and accuracy. As the travel industry increasingly relies on AI-powered solutions, Air India’s success serves as a benchmark for others to follow.
In conclusion, Air India’s pioneering implementation of Maharaja, an AI virtual assistant, has revolutionized customer service in the airline industry. Capable of handling over 6,000 daily inquiries in multiple languages, Maharaja has provided prompt and accurate assistance to countless customers. With an exciting range of advanced features on the horizon, Air India aims to further enhance the customer experience through data-driven personalization. This historic achievement reaffirms Air India’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to meet evolving customer needs.
