Artificial Intelligence is not a mere buzzword today. We have been witnessing the flourishing of AI in different sectors in India. The aviation sector is not an exception. Realising the growing importance and potential of AI, they are frequently relying on Artificial Intelligence and digitisation nowadays for everyday operations. Air India and IndiGo have reportedly stepped forward to embrace AI by proclaiming the use of OpenAI’s AI chatbot, ChatGPT, in their operations. 

Air India to use ChatGPT

Campbell Wilson, the carrier’s CEO, said that Air India would give a head start in using GPT-4 to enhance the customer experience on their website. It was reported that AI technology could soon be implemented to make a considerable influence on the website’s FAQ section. Satya Ramaswamy, Chief Digital and Technology Officer of Air India, explained how Artificial Intelligence could enhance the airline’s running. He said, “We do see the promise of generative AI primarily because, as an airline, we are swamped with data and information. Before pilots embark on one of their long-range journeys, such as going from, say, Mumbai to San Francisco, which takes about 14-15 hours or so, they are given a briefing document which is about 150 pages long. And this is given a few hours before the flight departs. We are looking at using generative AI to summarise the pilot briefing to extract the most important elements and point them out to the pilots.”

As Air India has already invested around $200 million in upgrading the IT system and making other processes digitally advanced, its new bet on AI is not at all surprising. 

IndiGo’s turn

Neetan Chopra, the Chief Digital and Information Officer of IndiGo, in a recent interview, shared his thoughts on the potential of AI and digital technology within the aviation sector. He also said how India and APAC region are ready for the AI revolution. “I see a level of youthfulness in the workplace and country, a level of optimism for the future potential, the economy itself is a high growth, and inherently there seems to be an adoption of these digital technologies. And I feel all of these are great ingredients which enable a transformation journey to occur”, he added. 

He said AI could be used extensively in airline operations, such as forecasting and predicting capabilities in core areas of aviation like the best price, demand patterns and the number of meals that should be loaded in the aircraft etc. According to him, these will be the initial benefits of AI in airlines. He believes that more significant use of AI could be expected in the aviation sector sooner rather than later in India.