MeetKai, the metaverse and conversational AI leader, announced a partnership with Tripadvisor, one of the world’s largest travel guide platforms. The goal of this collaboration is to enable travel enthusiasts to remotely explore destinations around the world through an immersive metaverse experience. MeetKai also revealed plans for the future Metaverse launch and development of its Generative AI platform through five years of research and development.
TripAdvisor: Tourism through Virtual Reality
TripAdvisor has partnered with MeetKai on virtual tourism, which aims to bring global travel experiences to users’ homes via mobile or desktop devices. The Metaverse project, scheduled to launch later this year, will include an interactive experience that mimics real-life travel. TripAdvisor plans to partner with travel agencies and businesses to create digital versions of popular tourist destinations. The project saw travelers explore new places in VR before actually booking a trip.
In Rome, imagine a virtual replica of the Colosseum or the winding streets of Trastevere to give travelers insight into the potential trip they could experience. Or imagine capturing the essence of the city’s famous culinary and shopping scene, digitally recreating its quaint cafes and bustling markets. It can’t replace the real thing, but it can give users a taste of what they can expect when visiting a famous location.
As of 2022, Tripadvisor, the leading travel and tourism website, has accumulated nearly 1 billion user reviews and ratings, with a wide range of listings including hotels, restaurants, vacation rentals, and attractions.
Digital twins transform virtual experiences
The use of digital twins, which are exact digital replicas of physical entities updated in real time with integrated data, is at the core of these virtual experiences. Beyond tourism, digital twins have broader applications, including improving urban planning and public services. For example, Seoul, South Korea is developing a Metaverse platform that uses digital twins to improve public services such as transportation and emergency reporting.
NBPA’s Metaverse: Player Picks and Virtual Gatherings
MeetKai debuted its latest virtual experience at CES 2024, providing attendees with an immersive experience using VR headsets and browser-based devices. These demonstrations highlighted MeetKai’s newly launched generative AI technology to address practical business needs and improve user engagement in the digital space.
Additionally, THINK450, a partner and innovation engine of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), announced that it is collaborating with MeetKai to develop an immersive virtual retail experience in the Metaverse. Utilizing MeetKai’s AI-enabled digital twin technology, the NBPA will create a digital replica of its own fan pop-up shop, ‘The Brotherhood Deli.’
The virtual store features player-endorsed brands, limited-edition merchandise, virtual encounters with players, content lounges, gamified contests, and more. This Metaverse universe will be previewed via MeetKai later this winter, offering a never-before-seen teaser of the upcoming experience.
MeetKai’s journey since last year’s CES, including the introduction of MeetKai Reality and collaborations with major players like Sony Pictures and Charlotte Hornets, has brought AI and metaverse technologies to the forefront.