Expedia is taking its artificial intelligence ambitions straight to the doorstep of Big Tech. The travel giant has opened a new hub in San Jose, California, dedicated to AI and engineering, located on North First Street — less than 10 miles from Google’s headquarters.

The office sits in the heart of Silicon Valley, putting Expedia in the same hiring pool as Google, Cisco, Adobe, PayPal, and eBay. The location was chosen with recruitment in mind, as the company seeks to attract top technical talent capable of turning AI into tools that travelers and partners actually use.

Every major travel brand claims to be in an AI race, but success depends on execution — and execution depends on people. Expedia’s new outpost is a direct answer to that challenge, according to a report by Skift.

Chief Technology Officer Ramana Thumu told Skift that hiring delays could push project timelines significantly. Deadlines planned for 12 months can expand to 18 — an eternity in the fast-moving world of AI development.

One notable hire is Julia Elliott, Expedia Group’s vice president of technology and chief of staff to the CTO. Elliott left a decade-long career at Google to join Expedia in January. Her reason: travel has ‘interesting problems to solve,’ she said.

Elliott’s move signals that Expedia is serious about competing for talent that might otherwise stay in the tech giants’ orbit. The San Jose hub is designed to make that pitch easier, offering a workspace that feels familiar to Silicon Valley engineers while promising something different: the chance to apply AI to the complexities of travel.

For travelers, the implications are practical. Faster AI development could mean smarter search, personalized recommendations, and smoother booking experiences. For Expedia, the race is about building tools that stand out in a crowded market.

The company’s bet is that travel’s unique challenges — fragmented data, seasonal demand, and diverse customer needs — offer a more compelling playground for AI specialists than the abstract problems of a search engine or social network.

Whether the strategy pays off remains to be seen, but the move underscores a broader trend: travel companies are no longer just tech users; they are tech competitors. By planting a flag in Silicon Valley, Expedia is signaling that it intends to win the AI talent war on its rivals’ home turf.

As the AI race accelerates, the ability to hire quickly and effectively may prove as critical as the algorithms themselves. Expedia’s San Jose hub is a bet that proximity and purpose can tip the balance.