FLY, ROBOT

Though it’s not quite HAL in

2001: A Space Odyssey, online behemoths such as Skyscanner and Expedia are deploying robots to interact with website users. Using online chat platforms, the “automated assistants” quiz users about their travel plans and then suggest booking options. It’s early days yet for the technology – the results from this “conversational search” differ little from what you’d find yourself with a few mouse clicks – but operators are upbeat because the bots ease pressure on their search functions.