I wasn’t sure I wanted to comment on the DeepSeek vs. OpenAI debate. To be honest, there’s been so much said, it feels boring. But not addressing it feels like avoiding the topic, so here we go.
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Here’s the thing: AI, as we talk about it today, is really just LLMs (large language models). And LLMs are quickly becoming a commodity. Every piece of software, every digital interface, and every text-based tool will have some form of LLM embedded in it. Your PMS will have one. Your channel manager, your CRS, your booking engine—every single platform we use in travel and hospitality will incorporate LLMs to some degree.
And when that happens, the debate over which LLM is “best” will become irrelevant. Just like we don’t really think about who supplies our electricity—we just plug in and expect it to work—the same will be true for LLMs. When you charge your phone, you don’t wonder if the power comes from Duke energy or Dong energy. You just expect it to be reliable and affordable. The same will apply to AI-powered interactions.
We’ll use LLMs without knowing which provider sits behind the interface. We’ll switch between them as needed, without much thought. One software provider may use OpenAI, another may integrate Claude, and yet another may run an open source model fine-tuned for specific tasks. It won’t matter to the end user.
The real differentiator won’t be the LLM itself but rather how well it’s integrated into workflows, how intelligently it understands context, and how seamlessly it enhances experiences (no, everything is not better via a chat-box). Some models will be better at specific tasks—some will be optimized for financial calculations, others for guest interactions, others for internal reporting. I think it will be as commoditized as a mouse cursor on a computer. At first it was a novelty, now it is normal.
We’re moving into a world where AI-driven conversations will become the norm. Users will expect follow-up interactions that improve over time, just like we expect predictive text to learn from our writing style. But the question of which LLM is better? That’s just noise.
The real conversation is about how we use and integrate AI, not whose name is on the label.
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About me: I’m a fractional CMO for large travel technology companies helping turn them into industry leaders. I’m also the co-founder of 10minutes.news a hotel news media that is unsensational, factual and keeps hoteliers updated on the industry.
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