For better or for worse: Shaping the hospitality industry through robotics and artificial intelligence

Abstract

changes based on changed living arrangements that were followed by new saving and spending patterns. Daily life was newly defined through scheduled working hours and emerging labour laws; commercial asset investments contributed to the development of accounting and finance practices. According to Wisskirchen, Biacabe, Bormann, Muntz, Niehaus, Soler, and von Brauchitsch (2017), digitalisation with the emergence of the internet and a new era of access to information beginning in the 1970s contributed to extended use of industrial machines. Industry 4.0, or the fourth Industrial Revolution, is defined through cyber-physical systems (CPS)-the extended integration of technology and the communication between everyday objects (the internet of things)-and shapes a new world order of permanently (inter)connected humans and machines. Hence, Dirican (2015) raised the question of how the emergence of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) aggravated economic and labour market development not only on a societal and organisational level, but also on an individual basis. Discussing the history of "robotics", Murphy et al. (2017) state that science fiction authors and later movie producers have had an interest in non-human beings since the early 1900s. Despite the commonly grim outlook of humanoids replacing life on Earth in most stories, robotic applications are an integral part of our daily lives, not only in our homes, but also in transportation, entertainment, law enforcement, armed forces, and health care. Technological advancements in the hospitality industry Even though for some the hospitality industry is still associated with long working hours, low salary levels and exploitation of minorities, the industry has come a long way since Orwell famously criticised and labelled hospitality-related workers as having no social significance in the 1930s (Baum, 2019). In the age of big data, the hospitality industry, a sector within the broader services industry, has adopted computerised processes and artificial intelligence in, for example, property management systems (PMS), revenue management systems (RMS), or customer relationship management (CRM), to synthesise key performance indicators (Mariani, Baggio, Fuchs, & Höepken, 2018). Smart home appliances and applications such as Alexa by Amazon, Siri by Apple, and the Google Assistant have found their way into hotel rooms to control the ambiance, provide information, order services or communicate complaints. Robotic appliances are not only utilised for programmable housekeeping purposes and assisting lobby attendants, concierges and bellboys, but have also been introduced as waiters in restaurants. The owner of a restaurant in China sees robots as not only an opportunity to save costs in the long run by easing the demanding workload of ABSTRACT: Contemporary technological applications are widely in use in the public sector; transportation, law enforcement, armed forces, and health care industries have long adopted robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). Our daily lives have been shaped through the digital transformation and, as such, this development has also impacted the hospitality industry. By exploring the practical implications, the authors outline motivations of organisations, and highlight shortcomings due to the current level of technology adoption. In line with this, a trade-off between convenience and limiting freedom of choice is contrasted with varying regional acceptance levels by users. Further, the adoption of advanced technology as far-reaching as social robots has implications on a strategic and human resources level; human-robot interaction (HRI) in a professional setting comes with changing job tasks, and a general-skill-focused human workforce and therefore requires adapted policies and strategies. Undoubtedly, the future is here, and rather than fearing the change the authors recommend using technological advancements and its possibilities through an informed choice.