Last week, I posted some reflections on the use of artificial intelligence in everyday life and in the practice of law. Today, I read this article in Hotel Business, in which Alice Sherman opens with a statement that artificial intelligence has become “an actual key player in business decisions” in the hospitality industry. I hope this is an overstatement.
Ms. Sherman cites examples in which AI undoubtedly provides cost savings and speed, at acceptable levels of risk (if used with sufficient human oversight). These include virtual assistants to “handle booking inquiries, guest Q&A functions, and check-in,” as well as tools to analyze guest data, track preferences, customize upsells, and facilitate guest satisfaction surveys. Beyond guest-facing functions, she notes that AI provides platforms for “housekeeping optimization and energy management; revenue management (dynamic pricing and demand forecasting) . . . and workforce management (task automation and predictive scheduling).” With the right amount of human oversight, I don’t doubt that AI provides appropriate means of small, incremental “decisions” in these areas.
However, as Ms. Sherman recognizes, there are other areas in which the use of AI introduces new risks, including “data privacy” (which includes privacy of both guest data and employee data) and “bias.” Another function she mentions is human resources. A bad decision by AI in any of these areas could have much more significant consequences that cannot be easily corrected.
I will repeat the admonition in my last post that while AI is a valuable resource, it makes mistakes. In my own profession, there has been a steady drumbeat of stories over the past year in which lawyers have gotten in trouble for relying too heavily on AI to make decisions that have proven to be mistaken.
With proper oversight, AI can be a valuable assistant—even one that makes small, routine decisions that can be easily corrected. But a “key player in business decisions”? Maybe someday, but I don’t think we’re nearly there yet.
Bob Lannan