Bobby Healy: “You can’t afford to just dabble in AI, it’s a complete re-architecture of how your company operates”
It’s Chinese New Year, and I’m in Penang celebrating the Year of the Snake. Traditionally, that might signify a slow, slithery year but what’s happening in AI and travel technology is anything but slow.
Over just the past few days, the industry has been shaken by rapid developments, particularly around AI efficiency breakthroughs like DeepSeek. The notion that AI development is centralized in the West has been upended, and travel companies need to rethink everything they thought they knew about the cost, accessibility, and potential of AI.
In this video interview, I had the chance to discuss this with Bobby Healy, a longtime travel tech innovator and CEO of Manna Drone Delivery as well as co-founder of Meili. We got into the weeds of AI’s rapid acceleration, and he made it clear that the game has fundamentally changed.
As he says, “What’s happening in AI is not slow or slithery. It’s moving so fast that it’s challenging everything we thought we knew.”
Watch the full conversation:
The DeepSeek disruption
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI model that burst onto the scene in late 2023, has upended long-held assumptions about the global AI race. For years, the narrative was dominated by US tech giants like OpenAI and Anthropic, backed by massive GPU resources and capital. But DeepSeek changed the game.
“We’ve been operating under the assumption that AI would require massive computing power and access to high-end GPUs, which was a major advantage for US companies,” Healy said. “But DeepSeek has proven that you can train an AI model using a fraction of the computing power we thought necessary. That means AI is now dramatically more accessible—not just for big players, but for startups, for anyone.”
The impact of this breakthrough is huge. “Just overnight, the cost of processing large language models has dropped to about 5% of what we expected,” Healy explained. “That makes AI-powered travel solutions – from chatbots to hotel search engines – far more financially viable than ever before.”
The idea that China was only ever copying existing AI models is outdated. “DeepSeek didn’t come from nowhere, but it definitely blindsided people in the West,” Healy said. “The assumption that OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google had an unassailable lead was just proven false. And that has huge geopolitical and business implications.”
This shift has profound implications for the travel industry. AI-powered tools, from chatbots to dynamic pricing engines, are now more accessible and affordable than ever.
“The cost of using large language models has dropped to about 5% of what we expected,” Healy explained. “This makes AI-driven business models viable for startups and smaller players, not just the big incumbents like Booking.com or Expedia.”
Open models vs. closed systems
One of the most significant outcomes of the DeepSeek phenomenon is the rise of open AI models. Unlike proprietary systems like OpenAI, which operate as closed ecosystems, open models allow companies to run AI locally and at a fraction of the cost.
“The open model approach undermines the closed systems,” said Healy. “It’s a win for companies like Amazon and Microsoft, who sell compute power, and for startups that can now leverage AI without breaking the bank.”
For the travel industry, this means that AI is no longer a luxury reserved for tech giants. Smaller players, from boutique hotels to regional airlines, can now harness AI to compete on a more level playing field.
“AI helps you swim across very wide moats,” Healy quipped. “The advantages that big companies once had – scale, data, and capital – are no longer insurmountable.”
Leadership in the Age of AI: “Not just a cool tech trend for nerds in the corner”
But adopting AI isn’t just about technology; it’s about mindset. Healy emphasised that leaders must “force-feed” the belief that AI will fundamentally change how their organizations work. “This isn’t a cool tech trend for the nerds in the corner,” he says. “It’s a transformation that affects every part of the business, from product development to customer service.”
Speed matters. “You can’t afford to just dabble in AI. This isn’t a side project. It’s a complete re-architecture of how your company operates,” Healy added.
His advice? Travel companies need to stop treating AI as a tech tool and start seeing it as a core business enabler. “If your leadership isn’t actively thinking about how AI will fundamentally change their business, then you’re already behind,” he said.
One of Healy’s key messages was that AI adoption isn’t just about efficiency – it’s about survival. “Remember when travel companies dragged their feet on mobile? It took forever to go from desktop to mobile-first. We don’t have that luxury this time. AI adoption is moving exponentially faster.”
Healy shares how he champions AI within his own companies, Manna and Meili. “It starts with leadership. I personally advocate for AI and celebrate small wins. For example, one of our engineers spent a year trying to perfect a piece of code for our drones. When he finally let AI take a crack at it, the solution worked flawlessly on the first try. That’s the kind of story that gets people excited.”
He also employs what he calls “Claude shaming” – using AI tools like Anthropic’s Claude to answer questions and then sharing the results with the team. “If someone asks me a question, I’ll often respond with a screenshot of Claude’s answer. It’s a fun way to show how powerful these tools can be.”
How AI will reshape travel:
- AI-Driven Search Will Bypass Traditional Aggregators – “Right now, search in travel is controlled by a few big players. But AI changes that. Instead of booking through an OTA, a traveller could have a direct conversation with an AI that pulls the best options from everywhere. That’s a massive shift.”
- Hyper-Personalization Becomes the Norm – AI is getting so advanced that it can now craft travel recommendations tailored to an individual’s unique preferences and budget in real-time.
- Operational Costs Will Drop Dramatically – “A lot of what we think of as ‘human-required’ work – like customer service, itinerary planning, or even complex flight scheduling – will be done by AI, reducing costs across the board.”
- AI Will Reshape Small Travel Businesses, Too – For smaller hotels or tour operators, the key is being AI-friendly. “Expect AI agents to be calling your hotel, gathering information, negotiating discounts. Make sure your business is ready for that.”
The “currency devaluation” of skills
Of course, not everyone is quick to embrace AI. For many, the rapid pace of change can feel unsettling. “It’s like a currency devaluation,” Healy explained. “If you’ve spent 35 years honing your skills as a programmer, it’s tough to see AI do in minutes what used to take you months. But the key is to focus on what makes you uniquely human – your creativity, your ability to build relationships, and your vision for the future.”
Healy acknowledges that some individuals may struggle to adapt. “There will always be people who resist change. But as leaders, our job is to help them see the opportunities. AI isn’t here to replace us; it’s here to amplify our potential.”
A beautiful time to be in travel tech: The time to act is now
What’s clear is that AI isn’t just another wave of innovation – it’s a full-scale revolution. “Look at companies like Intercom. Their entire business model was under threat from AI, and instead of resisting it, they launched Finn, an AI-powered chatbot that made them leaders overnight,” Healy pointed out. “Travel companies should be thinking the same way.”
For Healy, the opportunity is clear: “The barriers to entry in travel tech are collapsing. AI levels the playing field, making it easier for new entrants to challenge big incumbents. If I had a spare seven days a week, I’d be building something in travel AI right now.”
As AI reshapes travel, the message is simple: companies that embrace it wholeheartedly will thrive. Those that hesitate will be left behind.
Said Healy, “The biggest mistake you can make is thinking this is someone else’s problem. AI isn’t just changing tech – it’s changing everything.”
“This is a beautiful time to be in travel tech. The barriers to entry are lower than ever, and the possibilities are endless. But the window of opportunity won’t stay open forever. The time to act is now.”
