Artificial Intelligence (AI) is THE trend for 2018. Whether it’s a friendly airport guide or ordering a hotel snack via a voice-controlled smart assistant. You’ll be amazed to see where AI is being used these days.
It wasn’t that long ago that we all thought robots were the stuff of science fiction. But in many areas today they’re part of normal everyday life. On a business trip, it’s highly likely you’ll be encountering Artificial Intelligence in one way or another. Here are few examples of what we’re talking about.
At the airport
For the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan, robots at the Tokyo-Haneda airport will receive passengers, transport their luggage and show them how to get to where they need to go. This should ensure that the anticipated surge of visitors is handled smoothly.
At South Korea’s largest airport, Incheon International Airport near Seoul, “guide robots” help visitors to their desired destination. Here again, thanks for this development goes to the Olympics, since the 2018 winter games are currently held in South Korea.
But it’s not just in Asian airports that you’ll find robots at work. As early as 2014, Düsseldorf Airport deployed a parking robot. Perhaps too early as it turned out, since many visitors had reservations about them. In 2017, they re-engineered the technology of the “RAY” parking robot. It is expected that the new robot technology will enhance the public’s comfort with the robot.
Hotel
When it comes to Artificial Intelligence, Asians are ahead of the pack primarily due to their degree of acceptance of its use, even in the hotel sector. There are already hotels in Japan where the person greeting you at the reception desk isn’t a person – it’s a robot.
But even the Motel One in Munich introduced a concierge robot as a pilot program in 2017. “Sepp” answers questions like “Where is the bar?”’ or “When is breakfast served?” It is a so-called self-learning robot whose experience base can expand as it “learns.”
A representative survey conducted by the German digital association Bitkom showed that 9% of all Germans plan to get themselves a digital smart assistant such as Google Home or Amazon Echo in 2018. Such smart assistants are also increasingly being used in hotels. Guests can use them to control light, temperature, music and TV or even order room service all through voice-control.
Saving business travel costs
Artificial intelligence is also used by start-ups like Fairfly and Yapta that are implementing artificial intelligence by using technologies that rebook flights and hotels as soon as prices change. BCD Travel has just launched SolutionSource, a one-stop shop of third-party travel technology solutions. It gives travel buyers quick access to expansive technologies in key categories including: risk management, price assurance, flight disruption, program optimization, and more. Fairfly and Yapta are among the initial SolutionSource Authorized Partners.
The shape of things to come
Today, autonomous taxis are now in their test phase in many cities. Among these, Singapore is a pioneer.
Even the driving service Uber has announced its intention to work with autonomous cars across the board.
According to Bitkom, in addition to autonomous driving mode, the car of the future will also feature holographic displays, pop-up steering wheels and biometric sensors to measure the driver’s vital signs.
These and other innovations were presented recently at the world’s biggest electronics trade show, the CES in Las Vegas.
Service robots are also among the trends. We’ll soon get used to being served by service robots in restaurants and airport lounges. Let’s see what the future brings!
