OpenAI acquires AI travel company Odessia, founder joins OpenAI

According to IT Home, Francis Davidson, the founder of AI travel intelligence company Odessia, announced that OpenAI has acquired Odessia, and he has joined OpenAI to help explore the development direction of the travel business. An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed the news and welcomed Davidson, stating that he has founded several companies that help people travel.

Odessia was established only a year ago and secured $6 million in seed funding led by Sequoia Capital. It launched its AI travel intelligence service about 5 months ago to help early users plan their travel itineraries. OpenAI has not announced any new products or plans in the travel sector, with current partners in the same field including Booking.com, Expedia, and KAYAK. The spokesperson stated that travel is one of the topics users frequently consult ChatGPT about. Davidson founded the high-end apartment rental company Sonder in 2014 while he was in college, targeting major cities around the world.