ExClone start-up unveils latest version to turn travel website into ‘talksites’

ExClone start-up unveils latest version to turn travel website into ‘talksites’

New York start-up exClone has announced the release of the latest version of its technology which it says promotes the virtues of chat over search queries.

New York start-up exClone has announced the release of the latest version of its technology which it says promotes the virtues of chat over search queries.

Phil the Voyager is a virtual travel agent that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to inspire customers and help them discover their perfect holiday.

Phil is accessible for private testing at phil.voyage with the site open to Facebook users for a limited period, before a full-scale commercial launch later this year.

The version-V of the exClone technology allows user to access information on over 30,000 destinations, and provides photos and videos in an interactive interface.

ExClone says Phil the Voyager highlights the difference between search and chat, and why chat is the more effective form of communication.

“Search inhibits efficiency, using only a single query at a time, whereas chat is dynamic, poignant, compelling and personal,” the firm said.

ExClone said for a similar experience customers would have to talk directly to an experienced human travel agent.

Etienne Paris, spokesperson for exClone, said: “Phil the Voyager shows the importance of a chat solution versus a mere search solution, and Phil paves the way for turning websites into Talksites.

“With such a transformation finally within our grasp, search engines are likely to lose their dominance as Talksites rise in functionality, importance, ease of use, efficiency and fun.”

ExClone says modern platforms that are not able to learn and adapt will increasingly “fail to satisfy progressive, social demands for enhanced user-interface and evolving technologies”.

The firm said: “Chatting enables learning. For travel spots already visited by the user, Phil learns the positive and negative aspects of a location based on the user’s experiences.

“This component makes Phil an organic system, constantly learning and growing to expand its knowledge, just like all other exCLones.

“One can imagine a similar communication problem in finding a product, solving a technical problem, or identifying the root causes of an issue.

“Similar to the travel industry, these problems must be solved every day in finance, law, health, business, and in many other areas.

“Phil the Voyager offers ‘cloned vertical expertise,’ a glimpse of the future, now – and a new way to solve today’s problems.”

About The exClone Project: exClone, Inc is a New York City based start-up company specialising in talking agents via the digital cloning of human expertise, with the promise of capturing, preserving, and improving knowledge for eternity in the digital realm.

Once ‘born’, an exClone starts its own life by constantly reading material on the Internet and following the personality traits and interests of its creator.

An exClone also chats with people online (similar to chatting on Skype or Facebook), sharing its expert knowledge while learning from social conversations. The capacity of an exClone to learn and expand its knowledge is unlimited.