What is it about?

This Managerial Perspective considers the use of ChatGPT by hotels as a tool for replying to their property’s online consumer-generated media postings. As readers would certainly know, ChatGPT is a free artificial intelligence software program designed to assist users with tasks requiring intelligence to perform. In this brief study, test participants were provided actual posted online TripAdvisor review comments along with the responses to these that had been posted by hotel management as well as a second response created by ChatGPT, with the request that the participant indicate which response was real and which was produced by the computer. A second request asked the participant to indicate which they felt was “better.” The results suggest that ChatGPT does a relatively effective job of mimicking authentic responses. These findings, and the discussion of relevant theory, will be useful for hospitality industry managers and academics as they consider the future use of artificial intelligence software for performing this important albeit often tedious task.

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Why is it important?

This research was among the very first to consider AI's impact and potential upon the tourism and hospitality industry. It provides the foundation for many articles that follow and is an important paper in our study of the technology.

Perspectives

The general public became aware of ChatGPT in November 2021. This research was conducted in January 2021, when most of us had barely begun to understand the technology's impact. Any researcher now studying AI and our industry, to better understand where we are with the technology, should read this paper to get a sense of from where we have come and how quickly the technology has evolved.

Stephen Litvin
College of Charleston

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: ChatGPT: It’s Here, Whether We Want It or Not!, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, February 2024, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/19389655241229615.
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