The article discusses Byway, a travel company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to plan and book low-carbon trips. Here are some key points from the article:
- Byway’s AI-powered platform: The company has developed an AI-powered platform that suggests environmentally-friendly options for travelers based on their preferences and destination.
- Low-carbon travel: Byway aims to make sustainable travel more accessible and affordable by using AI to optimize routes, modes of transportation, and accommodations.
- 40% manual intervention needed: Despite the success of the AI platform in planning trips, human intervention is still required for 40% of bookings due to local nuances or complexities that the AI cannot handle.
- Human role in content creation: Byway’s product contact team works with destination management organizations and commissions local journalists to provide high-quality content to feed the AI’s recommendations.
- Regional expansion and regulatory issues: The company is expanding its services to new regions, but faces regulatory challenges due to Brexit, which has led it to establish a base in the Netherlands.
- Fundraising: Byway has raised funding to support its growth plans, with a total of $5 million in seed funding from investors.
Overall, the article highlights Byway’s innovative approach to sustainable travel and its commitment to using AI to make environmentally-friendly options more accessible to travelers.