For travelers, chatbots and AI can't quite take you there

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Chatbots now work well for ordering a pizza, but managing a complex travel itinerary is a different story. Ask any technology expert about the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in travel and they'll breathlessly tell you we're on the verge of a revolution. They'll describe a world in the not-too-distant future where smart applications can find and book a bargain airfare, manage your trip and troubleshoot any problems that might come up with greater speed and efficiency than any human travel agent. But ask any traveler to describe their experience with AI, and you might hear a different story: One of struggling to be understood by technology that claims to be smart. These early days of travel bots that specialize in customer service, chat, messaging and search are a cautionary tale.