Delta Air Lines (DAL+1.55%) has a message for the tech world: AI isn’t just for Silicon Valley.
In the first-ever keynote held at Las Vegas’s immersive Sphere venue, Delta CEO Ed Bastian unveiled how artificial intelligence will reshape the century-old airline. The showcase moment? A new AI assistant called Delta Concierge, launching in 2025, the tool is designed to handle everything from rebooking delayed flights to suggesting the fastest route to your gate.
The airline’s AI strategy focuses on operational tasks rather than consumer-facing chatbots: analyzing customer feedback, optimizing gate assignments, and reducing connection times. It’s part of a broader push by traditional companies to find practical applications for artificial intelligence.
The airline is working with experience management company Qualtrics (SAP+1.22%) to process feedback from nearly 200 million annual travelers, turning that data into personalized experiences. “Experience is actually the currency of business today,” said Qualtrics executive chairman Ryan Smith during the presentation.
Even the entertainment system is getting an AI upgrade. Through an exclusive partnership with YouTube (GOOGL-0.95%), Delta will offer ad-free creator content on its seatback screens and personal devices. This is part of a broader strategy to use AI for personalized content recommendations without replacing the human touch.
“At Delta, it’s not technology for technology’s sake,” Bastian said. “We call it innovating with heart, using technology to create premium experiences with humanity at the core.”
In non-AI news, Delta unveiled several hardware and infrastructure upgrades. The airline announced plans to install new 4K HDR QLED screens in its aircraft starting in 2026, bringing ultra high-definition entertainment to passengers. The screens will come with Bluetooth connectivity in all cabins, allowing travelers to pair their personal wireless devices.
The airline also announced plans to launch an air taxi service with Joby Aviation (JOBY+2.75%) in the next couple of years, starting in New York City and Los Angeles. The electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft promise to transform the journey to the airport, cutting travel times dramatically. A trip that might take 90 minutes by car could be completed in just 10 minutes by Joby aircraft, according to Delta’s demonstration.
Looking further ahead, Delta is partnering with Airbus (AIR-1.11%) to design more fuel-efficient aircraft and scale up sustainable aviation fuel usage. The airline aims for sustainable aviation fuel to make up 95 percent of its fuel consumption by 2050, and the two companies will collaborate on hydrogen-powered flight projects and new aerodynamic designs.
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