Weekly Update: Week of July 7, 2025

AI meets everyday life – travel, dining, and beyond. This week several consumer-facing AI features rolled out: Delta Air Lines expanded its test of AI-driven personalized airfare pricing, moving from 3% to 20% of its flights. The concept is that AI crunches data about a customer’s history and current demand to offer a tailored price – for example, a frequent business traveler might see a different price than a casual flyer booking the same route. This is a controversial use of AI (raising fairness questions), but it represents how deeply AI is being embedded in service industries. In the dining sector, OpenTable launched its “Concierge” AI assistant nationally on July 9 after a pilot. Now users can go on the OpenTable app and ask, “Does this restaurant have vegan options and a kids’ menu?” – and the AI will read through reviews and the menu to answer, saving users time. Restaurants benefit by reducing repetitive phone inquiries. On the home front, Amazon’s Alexa got a summer update with a new AI model, making its responses more conversational and context-aware. People noticed Alexa can now handle follow-up questions and complex requests much better, indicating the smart home experience is getting more intelligent. These incremental innovations show AI quietly but significantly improving daily conveniences. Travel, eating out, and using gadgets are all becoming smoother as AI works behind the scenes to personalize and anticipate our needs.