How AI is changing corporate travel risk management (and what to do about it)

The benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) are clear: 53% less time required to book travel and submit expense reports, as IDC found with SAP Concur customers. But new technology brings new risks: Take, for example, the 32% of business travellers and 51% of travel managers telling us it was highly likely co-workers would use AI to falsify expenses. The statistics illustrate how AI adoption makes the critical task of ensuring your travel risk management strategy adapts to new technology more urgent.

Navigating the balancing act between reward and risk

Any new technology can bring growing pains, and AI is no different. Organisations looking to leverage AI-driven travel management systems must approach the new tools with a clear view of both the risks and the benefits. To gain that view, leaders must equip themselves with powerful assets: Knowledge, diligence, and strategy.

Learn how to balance the double-edged sword of AI in travel booking and corporate travel management by examining:

• How AI-driven travel management systems deliver benefits, including compliance, spend visibility, duty of care, and faster bookings and expense reporting.
• Ways travel risk management can be affected by AI-powered travel booking, including fraud and misinformation.
• Why a commitment to education and an ethical approach are necessary for businesses to secure trust, increase adoption, and achieve the most ROI from AI initiatives.

What are the benefits of AI-driven travel management systems?

The benefits of AI-driven travel management systems and AI-powered travel bookings include improved efficiency, spend visibility, insights, duty of care, and employee experience. Virtually every travel manager (99%) and 7 out of 8 business travellers (88%) surveyed in our 7th Annual Global Business Travel Research Report told us they’re comfortable with AI being used for corporate travel bookings, re-bookings, and expense reporting.

Here are specific ways integrated, AI-driven travel management systems deliver results:

• Employees receive quick, accurate, compliant, and personalised trip estimates based on their preferences and travel history.
• Policy tips are delivered automatically throughout the arc of travel, from request and pre-approval to travel booking and post-trip expense reporting, so business travellers and managers know of potential issues before they become real problems.
• Travel managers gain visibility into spending and compliance through clean data and actionable insights that benefit their programmes and allow them to mitigate risk proactively.
• Before and during trips, business travellers receive tips and alerts on location safety, health, cancellations, strikes, and other potential and actual disruptions.
• With tools capturing receipts and itineraries, businesses know where their business travellers are and can keep them safe and supported.

“Having real-time visibility into our associates' locations while on business trips helps us respond quickly to any safety situations and support them effectively,” one travel manager says.

 

AI in Business Travel: Efficiency Engine or Compliance Risk?

AI brings great benefits to travel booking, duty of care, and more. But AI can also enable fraud and introduce other risks if not managed properly. Read our Travel Leaders Insights to learn how to balance the double-edged sword.

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How does AI impact corporate travel risk management?

What makes AI powerful in travel and other spend management solutions also makes it a potential tool for fraud, misinformation, and bias that can chip away at even the most solid travel risk management strategy. Employees, too, have concerns organisations must consider: 45% told SAP Concur they want assurances their personal data is protected, and 36% want to know that AI tools are free of bias. In addition, 29% want assurances they wouldn’t face repercussions if AI steered them to out-of-policy bookings.

Fraud and non-compliance

AI-enabled solutions can collect and read receipts, but in the hands of bad actors, the technology also can be used to generate fake receipts, merchants, and even loyalty points. Thankfully, specialised AI-powered expense fraud detection tools protect your compliance. Audit tools infused with AI can comb through every transaction and spot patterns, including anomalies that may indicate fraud or noncompliance, on a scale that human auditors just can’t match. Employees see the value in AI-powered expense fraud detection: 56% think they could slip something by their organisation’s approval team, while just 44% of business travellers think they could deceive AI.

Misinformation and bias

Ensuring that business travellers receive accurate information and that AI-powered travel booking is free of bias are two sizeable challenges. If an AI tool returns false information or its personalisation algorithm introduces bias, employees’ trust in the technology and in your organisation will falter.

Social media has long been a source of inaccuracies and information designed to deceive, but the advent of AI has only amped up the tools to make the wrong, from voices to videos, seem real. When business travellers get inaccurate information about health, safety, and security risks, their trip disruptions can be more severe, and they might hesitate to hit the road in the first place. Demonstrating the challenge: 27% of organisations surveyed in the 2025 International SOS Risk Outlook reported being impacted by misinformation’s disruptive effects.

Balancing smarter experiences with responsible AI governance is essential to combating the risks of modern business travel management. Workforce training is a critical component, as is the flexibility for employees to choose how and when they use AI. Educating employees on how to effectively utilise the technology in ways that work for them helps foster trust in AI tools, which in turn encourages adoption.

Conclusion: balancing risk and reaping benefits

The substantial improvements in compliance, efficiency, and employee experience make AI-driven travel management systems a competitive advantage in today’s business environment. But fraud, misinformation, and other risks make it necessary for organisations to institute clear ethical guidelines for AI use. In addition, they must build and maintain employee trust by supplying training on the technology, as 39% of business travellers tell us they want.

With a thoughtful, deliberative approach, organisations can balance the benefits and risks of AI-powered travel management. Because the reality is, AI is coming to organisations if it’s not there already and will be foundational to business operations moving forward.

 

AI in business travel: efficiency engine or compliance risk?

Discover how to leverage AI’s benefits, manage its challenges, and enhance your business travel management. 

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FAQ: AI in corporate travel management

Q: What are the benefits of AI-driven travel management systems?

A: AI improves efficiency, spend visibility, and duty of care. It can reduce booking and expense-reporting time by 53% while providing real-time safety alerts and personalised trip recommendations.

Q: How widely accepted is AI amongst business travellers and travel managers?

A: The technology is looked upon as favourable, with 99% of travel managers and 88% of business travellers comfortable using AI for bookings, re-bookings, and expense reporting.

Q: What fraud risks does AI introduce?

A: AI can be used to falsify receipts, merchants, and loyalty points. However, AI-powered expense fraud detection tools can spot anomalies and patterns beyond the capabilities of human auditors.

Q: How does misinformation affect AI-powered travel?

A: Inaccurate safety or health information can disrupt trips and erode business traveller confidence. In fact, 27% of organisations reported misinformation causing significant disruptions.

Q: How can organisations manage AI risks responsibly?

A: By establishing clear ethical guidelines, providing employee training, and protecting personal data to build trust and encourage AI adoption.