Expedia wants to use AI to cut Google out of its trip-planning business

Expedia, the popular travel website, aims to shift the balance of power on the web by encouraging users to initiate their travel search on its site using AI, rather than beginning with external search engines. The company plans to leverage AI to personalize travel recommendations based on customers’ preferences and historical data.

Rajesh Naidu, Expedia’s chief architect and head of data management, emphasizes the goal of streamlining the travel planning process by training large language models on the extensive data the company has gathered over the years, estimating at 70 petabytes. Expedia’s long-term vision is to provide comprehensive and personalized travel recommendations to customers, ultimately reducing their reliance on external search engines.

Expedia’s strategy is strategically positioned to mitigate its reliance on external platforms and search engines, such as Google, by offering a more comprehensive and personalized travel planning experience through AI.