How AI is Transforming the Way we Travel

My eyes grew wider in Washington D.C. Reagan Airport as I saw kiosk machines stacked with almost no real person in sight. Where was I?? In the land of AI. Here is how AI is transforming the way we travel.

Although Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around for a while, it is only recently that you see 1 -2 human customer service representatives and a handful of maybe 8-10 computers and machines. They are now advanced and dependable enough to carry out complex tasks without human assistance. AI's capacity to carry out tasks that were traditionally done by humans has made it especially useful in the travel industry.

While this may be an adjustment for us - AI can save businesses time and money, reduce human error, and allow tasks to be done quickly at any time of the day. AI technology enables businesses to deliver faster response times on online platforms than would be possible for humans, meeting customer demands for quicker service.

AI technology can help with personalization, recommendations, and fast response times, even when there are no staff available. Today, AI is regularly used to communicate and assist customers, learning from each interaction and improving future interactions as a result. Additionally, AI can help with tasks such as data analysis, calculations, and problem-solving, which are valuable to hotel owners.

1. Chatbots

One of the most significant ways AI is deployed in the industry is through chatbots and online customer service. AI-powered chatbots on social media platforms and instant messaging apps can respond to questions and provide valuable information to customers even when a customer service representative is not available.

2. Face-to-Face Customer Service While the use of artificial intelligence for powering online customer service is now relatively commonplace, one of the emerging trends is for the technology to be used for face-to-face customer service interactions too. One example of this technology in action is the AI robot ‘Connie’, deployed by Hilton. This robot uses artificial intelligence and speech recognition to provide tourist information to customers who speak to it. Each human interaction also helps to teach the robot, improving the quality of all future communications.

3. AI Face Recognition

This technology that uses facial features to identify individuals and is commonly used in the travel industry for security purposes, such as in airports to detect people of interest or for crowd control.

4. Voice-based Digital Assistance

like in-room voice assistants and robots, provides guests with immediate access to tourist information and control over room features. Within hotels, for instance, it is now possible to provide voice assistants within hotel rooms, allowing guests to ask questions or make requests and receive an immediate response as well as instant 24/7 access to tourist information.

5. Smart Baggage Handling AI can sort baggage more efficiently, reduce lost baggage incidents, and help in sorting unclaimed or lost baggage. In terms of security, AI can automatically scan luggage images for suspicious items, and alert the staff if something is found.

There are many more -

There are many still skeptical of AI.

However, the travel industry seems to believe that can work for us - making the travel experience more efficient. Share this with someone who could learn something.