AI Agents Debate at Skift Data + AI Summit 2026
The Skift Data + AI Summit 2026 featured a debate on whether AI agents should control the customer journey. Adam Harris argued for prioritizing human guests over AI agents, while Seth Borko emphasized the inevitability of AI's role in travel planning. Both agreed on the critical importance of privacy in the evolving landscape of travel technology.
- ▪Almost two thirds of global travelers are using AI at some point in the planning or booking process.
- ▪A past focus on the transaction created a $100 billion cost center for hotels in the online travel agencies and intermediaries.
- ▪Online travel agencies have only just barely reached 50% of bookings after roughly 20 years.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
The Skift Takeaway Skift Data + AI Summit 2026 Debate: Should AI Agents Control the Customer Journey? Adam Harris – Co-Founder and CEO, CloudbedsSeth Borko – Head of Research, Skift Moderated by Sarah Kopit, Editor-in-Chief, Skift THE ARGUMENT The debate opened on a single question: optimize for the AI agent or the human? Harris said the agent is not the customer, and that building for the guest is how a hotel finally owns the relationship. He argued that chasing the transaction helped create a $100 billion cost center in the online travel agencies. Borko said the agent is the new distribution channel, and that visibility inside it is unavoidable now that almost two thirds of travelers use AI to plan or book. They split again on timing.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Skift.
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