OpenAI buys Odessia, a startup that plans trips with AI

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has bought Odessia, a startup that uses AI to help people plan trips. Odessia's founder, Francis Davidson, shared the news on X on Tuesday. He will join OpenAI to work on what he calls "the future of travel."

What Odessia is

Odessia is a young company. Davidson founded it earlier this year. Its platform uses AI to help users plan trips. In plain terms, that means software that helps you sort out where to go and what to do, instead of you digging through many websites yourself.

Why it matters

Planning a trip could soon mean asking a chatbot. If that catches on, the way people find and book travel may change. So could the companies that depend on that traffic, such as booking sites, hotels and airlines.

What is not known yet

The material available does not say what OpenAI paid. It does not say how many people work at Odessia or how many people use it. It also does not say whether Odessia will keep running as its own product or whether its ideas will be folded into ChatGPT.

• The price and terms of the deal
• Whether Odessia stays available to the public
• What travel features OpenAI plans to build
• When any new travel tools might arrive

What happens next

Davidson's post gives the direction but not the details. Travelers and travel businesses can watch for announcements from OpenAI. Until then, nothing changes for anyone who plans trips today.