MONTREAL -- For members of Signature Travel Network, use of generative AI is both promising and concerning, but the consortium is encouraging them to stay the course.
"I think they're afraid due to privacy concerns and possible inaccuracies -- and they should be," Signature executive vice president of information technologies Karen Yeates said in an interview.
But, used properly -- and without inputting any proprietary information, Yeates said -- generative AI can be a useful tool in advisors' everyday workflows.
Signature is encouraging member agencies to dip a toe into the waters of generative AI now, the beginning of a strategy that will eventually layer all kinds of AI atop the cooperative's data.
It's a strategy being executed in stages so that members are comfortable with the technology when it ultimately becomes integrated and more likely to boost their productivity and businesses.
"Our mission is to ensure that we have high engagement, because we can develop great technology but if no one's using it, it's just sitting on the shelf," Yeates told members while on stage during Signature's Owners' Meeting, held at Le Westin Montreal. "We want to make sure our advisors and our owners are taking advantage of all of our technology, so we're building with that in mind."
The AI toe-dipping begins at Signature with TobyAI, an artificial intelligence engine for travel advisors that uses generative AI for things like social media posts, correspondence and crafting itineraries. Signature has purchased a five-seat license for every member agency.
Yeates said the member-owned cooperative is also building generative AI solutions into SigNet, its proprietary intranet. Development on the first of those -- which will impact its most-used area, cruise quotes advisors send to clients -- begins in the fourth quarter.
Right now, Yeates said, advisors are manually building every message they send to clients. But incorporating generative AI will enable the system to craft custom messages that include the basics of the itinerary, why the cruise is a good fit for them and other suggestions. It will also offer tips to get a more effective message in clients' hands, Yeates said.
Once complete, that technology can also be applied to hotel quotes, cruise comparisons and Signature's marketing tool.
The ultimate goal is to entirely revamp and rebuild SigNet, which has been in existence since 1999, with AI incorporated, Yeates said. That will enable Signature to do things like track advisor behavior and offer predictive suggestions of products based on other users' searches within the system. This all comes at the same time that Signature is working to bring all of its data into one place.
"Our focus now will be to define a strategy around data," Yeates said. "We want to be able to capitalize on AI, and we can't fully capitalize on AI unless we have all of this data in one place."
CEO Alex Sharpe said he is pleased with Signature's AI strategy, calling it a "crawl, walk, run mentality. But I will say it's faster than that, because the world's moving so fast."
Agency owners said they plan on utilizing the TobyAI licenses to get their advisors comfortable with using AI in their day-to-day workflow.
Janelle Grissinger, founder and president of JCo Travel in Huntingdon, Pa., said her agency will most likely employ generative AI for marketing.
"You've got to jump in or get left behind," Grissinger said. "I'll at least give it a shot and learn what we can learn, and use it where we can. … I do think it's something you've got to get with or you're going to be at a disadvantage."
Beci Mahnken, owner of MEI-Travel, Mouse Fan Travel and Universal Fan Travel in Issaquah, Wash., agreed.
"If you embrace the technology, make sure it's going to fit for you properly, you can make things so much more efficient and effective," Mahnken said. "Take your day that you spend four hours to do three tasks: If you let AI help you, that can be an hour to do those three tasks, and then it opens you up for more sales."