Tern Rebrands as Tilly, Bringing Human Connection to AI-Powered Travel and Discovery

New Voice-First Platform Helps People Plan and Experience Life Together, Powered by Taste, Context and Real-World Knowledge

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, November 18, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Tern, the travel planning platform known for using AI to create personalized itineraries in seconds, today announced its rebrand to Tilly. The new name underscores the company’s mission to bring a more human touch to AI through a voice-first, collaborative platform that helps people effortlessly connect and plan experiences. Starting today, new users can join the waitlist for early access at heytilly.ai.

“Tilly represents where AI is heading, toward emotional intelligence, creativity and real-world connection,” said Tavishi Gupta, founder and CEO of Tilly. “We started by helping people plan better trips. Now we’re building an AI that understands people's unique taste and how they experience the world.”

From AI Travel Planner to Human-Centered Discovery
With more than 15,000 trips planned across 120 countries, Tilly continues to demonstrate how AI can simplify travel planning and enhance collaboration among users. Recognized by Google for Startups as a high-growth company, the platform has attracted a growing community of Gen Z and Millennial travelers who look for smarter, more personal ways to explore.

At the core of Tilly’s platform is a living taste graph that connects culture, context and behavior to deliver recommendations that feel authentic and relevant. The framework supports the company’s goal of building AI that helps people coordinate experiences in ways that feel natural and human.

“Our users are shaping the next chapter of the product,” Gupta said. “They love Tern for trip planning and want support for everything else they organize with friends and family from date nights to a Sunday picnic. Tilly builds on that insight by creating AI that promotes discovering the real world and feels grounded in how people connect.”

Why Tilly
The name Tilly reflects a more human and approachable brand identity, inspired in part by Sylvia Tilly, the Star Trek character known for her intelligence, empathy and sense of wonder. It conveys creativity, curiosity and individuality, aligning with the company’s goal to bring warmth, accessibility and greater humanity to the AI space.

Tilly is designed to act as a creative partner and tastemaker, guiding people through discovery experiences that align with their preferences and personal sense of style. Its taste graph connects culture, context and behavior to deliver experiences that feel intuitive, authentic and relevant.

“We wanted a brand that expresses how people already use Tern and where we are heading next,” Gupta said. “Tilly feels human and alive. It reflects our goal to build AI that not only understands a user’s taste but also celebrates the emotional connection people have with the experiences they love doing together.”

The Waitlist for What Comes Next
Alongside the rebrand, Tilly has opened a public waitlist at heytilly.ai for early access to the next stage of its platform. The upcoming experience expands beyond travel into a broader discovery environment featuring voice interaction, real-time collaboration, and adaptive personalization through Tilly’s evolving taste graph.

A new mobile app is in development and expected to launch in early 2026. In a future that anticipates AI friends and bots, Tilly is building technology that ensures human connection stays at the center of it.

About Tilly
Tilly (formerly Tern) is a next-generation, AI-powered travel and discovery platform that helps people plan and experience the world in a connected and intuitive way. Founded by ex-Microsoft AI researcher and slow traveler Tavishi Gupta, Tilly has been used by travelers in more than 120 countries and recognized by Google for Startups as a high-growth company. With a growing base of Gen Z and Millennial users, Tilly is redefining how people plan and discover by combining speed, personalization and a more human approach to AI. Learn more or join the waitlist at heytilly.ai.

Deana Graffeo Weeks
Alchemy Media
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