By: Oliver Hawthorne
Glenn Fogel sat stranded on a Denver tarmac this week. His connecting flight to Aspen had turned back to the gate. The Booking.com CEO didn’t just fume—he imagined an AI that could have fixed this before it happened. But there’s a catch: AI still can’t earn the trust humans do.
Fogel’s vision is simple.An AI assistant that warns of bad weather hours ahead. It offers backup options: a four-hour drive, car service, shuttle. A single “yes” auto-rebooks, refunds, and orders a rental. He’s made generative AI a top priority for the $125 billion company. But he also warned of AI “slop”—fake listings, fabricated reviews, non-existent villas. Ryan Serhant, the real estate broker who shared the stage with Fogel, told a story: a $50 million Manhattan penthouse deal almost collapsed when ChatGPT gave conflicting answers to buyer and seller. LLMs know internet history, not the path forward, Serhant said.
Booking.com wants to own every part of your trip—from planning to return. But trust is non-negotiable. AI can handle logistics, but high-stakes decisions need human accountability. The future of travel tech won’t be AI replacing humans. It’ll be AI that works with humans, and brands that don’t skip on trust will lead the pack.
Author bio: Oliver Hawthorne, Principal Correspondent at an international technology review, covers AI and travel tech innovations.
