Abu Dhabi’s national carrier, Etihad Airways, has signed an agreement with technology firm Astra Tech on Tuesday which will allow users to buy flights using artificial intelligence through the chat app BOTIM.
BOTIM, formerly known as a voice-over internet protocol software in the region, debuted as a “ultra app” on Monday.
One of the services it offers is a generative pre-trained transformer, an AI tech that gained prominence after the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November.
According to the agreement between Etihad and Astra Tech, clients of the airline will be able to book flights simply by putting in the basic details of the service they desire, with the technology subsequently finishing the booking.
According to Astra Tech, its GPT is the first to work in Arabic. It is also offered in English.
“Through the BOTIM GPT module developed by Astra Tech, flights and other travel-related services are integrated into the Botim app, offering a convenient and innovative way for customers to book Etihad flights,” Astra Tech explained.
Sheikh is the majority owner of Astra Tech. He stated that one of its major investors is the Abu Dhabi artificial intelligence firm G42, which is chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the country’s president’s brother and the UAE’s national security adviser, who runs a vast economic empire.