B2B travel technology marketplace HBX Group has rolled out a new version of its customer chat tool which features real-time, two-way translation powered by artificial intelligence.
The tool, known as Olivia, is designed to allow customers to communicate in their native language at any time. According to the Spain-based HBX Group, the new capability will help reduce wait times, improve service consistency and boost productivity across global teams.
“Our goal is for any customer, anywhere in the world, to feel that they are receiving personalized service, without having to deal with language barriers,” Xabier Zabala, chief sourcing and operations officer at HBX Group, said in a statement. “Real-time translation with Olivia represents a qualitative leap in user experience and proof of our commitment to technological innovation through artificial intelligence.”
HBX Group’s real-time translation system supports 13 languages and is being rolled out in phases, beginning with Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Italian, French, Greek, Thai and Turkish. Additional markets will follow in the coming weeks.
When a native-speaking agent is unavailable, an AI translation system enables live multilingual exchanges, automatically translating messages between the customer and the agent. Each AI-translated chat is clearly labeled, underscoring the company’s stated focus on transparency in the use of artificial intelligence.
The launch is part of a wider AI strategy to integrate automation and intelligent query routing across all HBX Group customer service channels, including chat, help desk, email and phone. The company reports that existing automation initiatives—such as booking reconfirmation workflows—have already achieved more than 30 percent automatic resolution rates.