Atlas

AI as the New Normal – Insights from ITB Berlin 2025

AI is no longer a buzzword but an integral part of travel technology. From autonomous agents to AI-driven customer service, new technology is here to revolutionize how businesses interact with customers and optimize operations. The AI as the New Normal: The Industry View panel at ITB Berlin 2025 brought together key leaders to explore the profound impact of autonomous agents and other AI solutions on travel. Moderated by Dirk Rogl, this insightful session featured Mary Li, CEO and Founder of Atlas, Pieter Jordaan, CTO of TUI, and Alex Bainbridge, CEO of Autoura.

AI in Travel: Digital Employees Driving Innovation

Welcome to the world to Atlas’s digital employees: Mary Li Mary Li introduced our autonomous agents Athena, Bridget, Carmen, Doris, and Florence who are transforming the way the company operates. Atlas has embraced AI from the ground up, allowing these agents to handle routine operations while the small team of 70 human employees focuses on strategy, innovative solutions, and relationships with customers and suppliers. By integrating 150 local carriers, Atlas has proven that AI can help scaling up without compromising on quality. Mary Li: “We develop automation solutions that genuinely help people work faster and more efficiently. They can enjoy a coffee and watch their digital employees in action – while these AI agents work 24/7, nonstop.” Discover how Atlas’s digital workforce and AI technology are transforming travel in this conversation between Mary Li, Atlas’s Founder, and Yeoh Siew Hoon, Chief Editor of Web in Travel.

Generative AI: Transforming Travel Technology for Employees and Customers

Generative AI is democratizing access to travel technology. Pieter Jordaan from TUI shared how, by creating an “AI lab” and an “assistant store”, TUI has empowered thousands of employees to develop their own AI assistants to improve customer service, e-commerce, and document management. This culture of self-sufficiency in AI development has led to significant operational improvements, including an 80% faster complaint-handling process. Pieter Jordaan: “We created an AI lab – not just for IT but for IT and business working together… Employees no longer have to wait for IT. They can rethink their own processes and implement changes themselves.”

AI-Driven Search: A New Era for Travel Technology

The next big change for travel technology is that the entire search logic will evolve. Mary Li: “For decades, our industry has digitized supply chains and followed a very rigid search model with fixed filters, resulting in experiences that aren’t truly personalized.” By moving beyond outdated search filters, AI will enable the industry to create a more intuitive, personalized journey that aligns with how humans naturally think.

Operational Efficiency vs. AI-Powered Customer Experience

AI already plays a significant role in reducing costs and optimizing operations. Pieter Jordaan: “We talk a lot about whether developers will exist in the future. What will happen though is that people will do more work, more complex work. The efficiency will come from having the same people doing more work.” However, panelists agreed that while AI currently drives efficiency, its future lies in transforming customer experiences. Mary Li: “At the end of the day, everything that we do is about customer satisfaction. When we drive efficiency by introducing digital employees, we do it to achieve customer satisfaction.” Learn more about Athena, Atlas‘s AI-powered monitoring agent that maintains airline data quality across 150 low-cost carriers integrated in Atlas’s ATRIP.

The Future of AI in Travel: Beyond Big Tech

The conversation turned toward the future of AI, where smaller, innovative companies like DeepSeek are challenging industry giants by using open-source methods and more efficient architectures. Mary Li and Pieter Jordaan both highlighted the potential for cost reduction and new AI-driven solutions in travel technology, enabling companies of all sizes to benefit from AI advancements. Mary Li: “I love those AI companies that embrace open sourcing, who enable more and more companies to ride this AI wave. DeepSeek, for one, open sources everything, shares, and collaborates. It’s good for the customer, and I really like what companies like DeepSeek and Alibaba Cloud are doing in this space.” AI isn’t the only area where China-based companies take a different approach. Read Mary Li’s blog to dive into the DNA of China’s travel market from the OTA perspective and learn what other industry players can learn from their strategies.

The Road Ahead for AI in Travel Technology

AI is reshaping travel technology in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. From digital employees that drive operational efficiency to AI-powered personal assistants that enhance the customer journey, the future is brimming with potential. At Atlas, we’re committed to continuous innovation and collaboration with AI to create the most efficient, personalized, and human-focused travel experiences.