From sci-fi to sci-fact: the state of robotics and AI in the hospitality industry

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to review the extant hospitality and tourism literature on the state of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in the service industry. The aim was to highlight the current areas of research on this emerging topic and identify areas for future application and study. Design/methodology/approach A list of hospitality and tourism journals was used to identify articles related to AI and robotics using the terms AI, robots, robotics, hospitality and tourism, and several combinations thereof. Additional sources were identified through the literature reviews from the identified works. Findings The findings revealed several studies on the current state of robotics and AI in hospitality and tourism. Additional research examines and discusses implications for internal and external customer service, legal and ethical issues and theory. Originality/value This paper provides a compilation of the current studies that examine the impact of robotics and AI in hospitality and tourism. It offers scholars an overview of the current knowledge in the field on this rapidly emerging and evolving topic.

AI and robotics in the European restaurant sector: Assessing potentials for process innovation in a high-contact service industry

“…In view of the changing restaurant market, businesses have started to experiment with AI technologies and robots (Hospitality Tech 2018). Similarly, a growing interest can be observed in academic research (Berezina et al 2019;Cain et al 2019;Ivanov et al 2019;Maier and Edwards 2020;Yang et al 2020). In particular, the restaurant business has received attention from multiple research disciplines and offers promising research opportunities (Ivanov et al 2019;Rosete et al 2020).…”

“…Berezina et al (2019) also explore widely the deployment of AI and robotics and present diverse use cases for restaurants. Similarly, Cain et al (2019) as well as Maier and Edwards (2020) describe the automation potential of AI and robotics and how this impacts business processes and the design of future service systems. As shown in Table 1, the application of AI and robotics in academic research ranges from datadriven table planning to sales forecasting or the development of diverse robots.…”

“…sentiment analysis of customer reviews. At the same time, detailed empirical data is missing due to generally low adoption rates in practice (Ivanov et al 2019;Cain et al 2019). Furthermore, Ivanov et al (2019) observe a strong emphasis in the literature on the use of robots in hospitality while the potential of algorithm-based applications is often ignored or considered secondary.…”

The future of hospitality jobs

“…4) has introduced AI, automation, and robotics and has led to their strategic implementation in the hospitality industry, intending to solve many of the daily management challenges (Makridakis, 2017). Hotels today are using more and more AI to modernise their operating procedures and render flawless processes traditionally provided by the employees in guest relations, check-in/check-out, room service, bartending, chatbots, reservations and bookings management, and virtual avatars (Cain, Thomas & Alonso, 2019;Ivanov, 2019;Ivanov, Gretzel, Berezina, Sigala, & Webster, 2019;Pesonen & Neidhardt, 2019;Tussyadiah & Miller, 2019). AI-driven robots are quickly becoming an essential asset of many hospitality establishments, driven by shortages in staff, the need for increased multilevel communication, and the need to create a memorable guest experience through flawless use of available customer data (Bowen & Morosan, 2018).…”

Robo-Tipping: Are Customers Game?

“…Robotics and automation have entered the hospitality industry, which has been traditionally regarded as a people industry [6,8,9]. Currently, robots are employed as hosts, wait staff, food runners, cooks, and bartenders [5].…”