AI: Service upgrade or system error?

SINGAPORE – The hospitality industry faces immense opportunities and disruptions with the advancement of AI, heard some 300 hoteliers and industry stakeholders who convened at Singapore Hotel Association’s second Hospitality Exchange at Hilton Singapore Orchard on September.

AI Agents can be eerily complex

AI is evolving from simple assistants into highly complex and specialized tools capable of planning, problem-solving, and executing tasks like humans, shared Ayesha Khanna, CEO and co-founder, Addo AI.

Industry-specific models already exist in law and veterinary care, and hospitality is expected to benefit from agents that streamline operations, personalize guest experiences, and improve service delivery.

Beyond silos, AI Agents can tackle multiple hotel functions - and even operationalize cross-functional workflows. For example, a hotel’s front desk system might “talk” directly with the kitchen, housekeeping, or a travel agent, removing the need for separate apps or constant staff coordination.

In fact, companies like Walmart are already deploying “super AI agents” across multiple business functions, Khanna pointed out.

Still, she cautioned total Agentic AI independence remains a “Silicon Valley dream… that is not going to happen for a long time.”

For now, hotels can take smaller steps to hybridize and pilot human-AI workflows.

Start small

Hotels can start with automating simpler tasks. Ahmed Disokey, senior vice president, Technology, Peninsula Hotels, said: “I really encourage every decision maker to focus on Robotic Process Automation (RPA). It brings the benefits, especially for those systems that are not connected to each other.”

RPA is a software that can mimic repetitive, rule-based tasks that humans normally do on a computer such as moving files and folders between systems, copying data from emails into spreadsheets, and processing invoices or payroll.

Another platform for HR, Workday, has AI agents for recruiting, expenses and succession to automate repetitive HR and finance tasks, helping employees focus on strategic work.

Robots for laborious jobs

Modern robots, powered by foundation models trained on thousands of hours of human movements, can perform tasks they have never done before, from making beds to delivering food. This general-purpose capability reduces costs, increases versatility, and helps maintain productivity as hotels face staffing challenges.

It would take time for hotel infrastructure to evolve to accommodate robots. For now, Yong Yih Ming, COO, IHH Healthcare Singapore & CEO, Mount Elizabeth Hospital, advised that hotels may start small with pilot projects before scaling up.

‘Disruption’ of the unwelcome kind?

The upsides of automation have never been a mystery. Cost savings may be very attractive from the outset. However, the uncertainties involved warrant a measured approach with well-planned risk management.

Beyond losing the favor of customers who prefer the human touch, heavy dependence on automated systems risk severe disruptions whenever the systems go down.

Moreover, without carefully planned retraining, workforce tensions may arise when staff resist AI displacement.

Hotels should therefore embrace AI in a measured way, through hybrid pilots, reorganizing teams for higher-value work, and managing risks such as data privacy and system errors, the experts advise.

Note: This story first appeared in Travel Weekly Asia