Humans V.S Artificial Intelligence in Hospitality

When it comes to technology, the whole world seems to be moving at an incredibly fast pace. Every day it seems that a simple object has been transformed into a #supersonichightechultraswankytimesaving machine. The other day I saw an electronic tape measure with no tape, which to someone in the fashion industry is pretty shocking!

Gadgets are all well and good, but when it comes to human Artificial Intelligence, how far will we be willing to go?

In hospitality, customer service is at the forefront of the industry, so does that mean that they can really use A.I to the best of their advantage, or will the industry experience a devastating back lash if a warm smile is replaced by a cold hunk of metal? 

One of Dresscode’s clients had been playing with the idea of having machines welcoming guests at the lobby of their hotel with a screen that says “Hello, Please Check in Here.” I was asked what my thoughts were on this and to me there was no grey area- I know I would feel hugely disappointed. For me, part of the excitement of going into a hotel is having a chat with the concierge and them showing me to my room with a nice welcoming smile. Replace that with a button on a screen and the experience just isn't the same.

I do understand from a hoteliers point of view, the savings that could be made, not to mention the lack of complaints/ sick days/ bad days but wouldn't the hospitality world be a much bleaker place?

The future is uncertain, and although when it comes to technology there are a huge amount of wonderful inventions that are being used for the greater good, but when will enough be enough? Will we ever see the end of real customer service in the hospitality sector or, will we push through and stick together to keep the hotel experience the best experience.