New data from Business Travel Show Europe has revealed the top five AI data privacy threats and opportunities European business travel buyers are most concerned and excited about. The news are shared ahead of this yearโs event (its 30th), which takes place 19-20 June at ExCeL, London.
AI threats concerning corporate travel professionals most
Over one third (34%) of buyers are most concerned about data privacy in relation to AI.
One quarter (26%) is unconvinced by its โlimited ability to handle complex situationsโ, while 16% are simultaneously concerned it will deskill travel professionals.
A further 15% of buyers think AI will โdepersonalise business relationshipsโ and 8% are worried it will lead to โreduced need for face-to-face interactionโ.
Interestingly, 5% of the 130 buyers who took part in the survey also claimed AIโs ability to reduce the need for face-to-face interaction was one of the things they are most excited about.
The top five AI opportunities exciting business travel buyers are:
Simplified travel planning and booking thanks to the likes of AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants – 42%
More efficient travel programmes โ as AI allows buyers to track and analyse data to identify areas for improvement -18%
Cost savings โ will buyers be able to use AI to find even better deals on flights and hotels? – 16%
Improved duty of care โ buyers will use AI to monitor travel alerts and keep track of employee locations in real-time 13%
Reduced need for face-to-face interaction 5%
โAI โ and particularly generative AI โ is THE topic on everyoneโs lips, almost irrespective of the industry they are in,โ commented Louis Magliaro, BTN Group Executive Vice President.
โFor business travel, AI has the power to impact our industry positively and negatively. Weโre already seeing โ and have for some time through the use of chatbots โ how it can enhance the personalisation of travel management. It also presents exciting opportunities for streamlining processes and increasing efficiency, but it’s crucial for organisations to address concerns around data privacy and ensure that AI complements rather than replaces human expertise when it comes to customer service, and human interaction when it comes to meetings and events.
โWe have a great free session at Business Travel Show Europe this June called โWill Generative AI deliver personalisation and more for travel managers and their travellers?โ and I would encourage everyone to block time out of their calendar to find out more.โ
The new data from Business Travel Show Europe comes off the back of recent TravelTech Show data that 56% of travel tech buyers are planning to invest in AI over the next 12 months.
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