Search Results forartificial intelligence
EU experts: the future of tourism is written in artificial intelligence
Speakers at this year’s Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS) 2024 recently discussed the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in the tourism sector and European regulations related to its use. Experts attending the event in Seville, Spain spoke of how the challenges and opportunities associated with the deployment of the tourism data space have been addressed, analysing how these technologies can transform and improve travel experiences. New technologies, particularly AI, have brought about a revolution that has affected the tourism sector. However, their use, key challenges, and related regulations are issues that are generating a great deal of public debate. What the experts have to say Gaia-X president Dolores Ordóñez emphasised the importance of creating an environment where data can flow without the need for big data lakes. She said: “We don't need everyone to dump their data in one place, but to be connected through agreements and exchange models.” Ordóñez added that access and quality of data are essential to training algorithms that enable greater sustainability and resilience in the tourism sector. Regarding the data space, Misa Labarile, from the European Commission, highlighted that the D3 Hub project is working on the creation of a centre of competence in tourism at the European level to improve collaboration and access to data. Labarile also addressed the AI-driven transformation, mentioning that the regulation, known as the 'AI Act', does not seek to slow down innovation, but to encourage it safely and transparently. She remarked: “AI has great potential to improve strategies and business, but we need to regulate its use to ensure safety and ethics.” John Fitzgibbon, managing director of NECSTouR, spoke about NECSTouR's role in facilitating the use of data in tourism regions. “We are involved in several European projects, such as Deploy Tour and D3 Hub, which aim to create a centre of competence in tourism data.” Olga Preveden, project manager for data and innovation at the Austrian National Tourist Office, added that “AI can now communicate in national languages, which has changed the way destinations are promoted”. Preveden also highlighted the use of chatbots to analyse questions from target groups and the adoption of predictive analytics by some companies. Such acts have enabled them to forecast trends and improve regional planning.
The transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence to be addressed at Medlab Middle East
The healthcare industry around the world is increasingly adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) to accelerate scientific advancements, develop new treatments and improve health outcomes across a diverse spectrum of health conditions. Medlab Middle East is poised to delve into the pivotal role of AI in laboratories when global experts gather at the event from 5-8 February at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The use of AI in medical imaging is gaining traction across the UAE, supported by a number of government initiatives and policies. Several healthcare organisations in Dubai are successfully using AI-based medical imaging technology, and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) has adopted AI-based medical imaging technology for the automated detection of breast cancer and lung diseases. In October, Saudi Arabia announced the country’s first AI-powered eye screening tests which can provide accurate diagnoses of diabetic retinopathy, simplify screening and save time and costs. AI is also helping to speed up the discovery of new medicines, a process which typically involves the testing of various chemical compounds – of which there can be millions. AI will perform trial and error within a computer and come up with the best combination for the drug. According to Data Bridge Market Research, the global AI in drug discovery market is expected to reach US$24.7 million by 2029, growing at a rate of 53.3 per cent annually. Professor Hassan Ugail, Director of the Centre for Visual Computing and Intelligent Systems at the University of Bradford in the UK, will be speaking at Medlab Midde East as part of the ‘Digitalisation, Automation and Innovation’ session, on the second day of the NextGen Conference. Professor Ugail has led the development of a pioneering AI tool called “OrQA” (Organ Quality Assessment), which assesses the quality of human organs for transplantation. When it comes to evaluating organs for transplantation, time is a critical factor, and OrQA can provide detailed and reliable analysis in a matter of seconds. The AI method uses a scoring system to grade an organ between zero and five, with organs that score below four, being suitable for use. Professor Ugail explains: “We use state-of-the-art artificial intelligence techniques to train a machine learning algorithm and worked with a number of surgeons to ‘score’ a range of organs. The machine then learns about the scores, alongside other characteristics such as the colour, texture and shape of the organ.” He adds: “Traditionally when an organ becomes available for transplantation, you need to gather experts as quickly as possible for an assessment. With OrQA, an image of that organ can be uploaded and it will quickly provide a score. It is an excellent application of AI for real healthcare use and helps surgeons to make the best possible decisions in the quickest possible time.” Funded by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the £1.2 million project is a collaboration between the University of Bradford, Newcastle University and the University of Oxford and could result in an additional 200 patients receiving life-saving kidney transplants and 100 more liver transplants per year, potentially saving millions of pounds for the UK National Health Service (NHS). There are plans to take the tool worldwide in the coming year. In October 2023, the UAE announced the launch of its first Centre for Excellence (COE) for artificial intelligence. One of the services provided by the COE is an organ donation and transplant centre. This facility helps to match donors and patients by analysing test results, which helps to facilitate organ transplants and prioritise critical cases within and outside the country. Additionally, AI technology will be used to analyse the results of radiological scans, which is expected to increase the efficiency of diagnoses. The Centre is set to launch an AI lab in the coming weeks. Tom Coleman, Exhibition Director, Informa Markets Healthcare concludes: “The integration of AI into laboratory practices is already redefining the landscape of scientific discovery and driving innovation in healthcare. In the years to come, the need for AI in medical imaging will continue to grow. “AI technologies are able to process and analyse data more quickly and accurately leading to new insights in various realms of study, and we are excited to spotlight this exciting field of healthcare at Medlab Middle East.” The 23rd edition of Medlab Middle East will focus on revolutionising laboratory medicine and showcasing sustainable solutions. Next Generation medicine will be explored at the exhibition as part of a new show vertical in partnership with Express Med Diagnostics and Research. Product categories featured across the show floor include technology, innovation, general services, imaging, infrastructure, IT, laboratory, medical equipment, pharma and nutrition.
SKAL BANGKOK TALKS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
SKAL BANGKOK TALKS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AI for Marketing: Join the October Skal Bangkok Luncheon Talk for Expert Insights from Move Ahead Media’s Craig Burton BANGKOK, Thailand – Get ready for an exhilarating and insightful experience as Skal International Bangkok presents a Luncheon Talk event like no other! On Tuesday, 10th October, we invite tourism professionals, digital marketers, and enthusiasts to gather at the Chatrium Residence Sathon, Bangkok, for an extraordinary day of networking, knowledge sharing, and delicious cuisine. Date: Tuesday, 10th October Time: Registration starts at 11:30 a.m. Venue: Chatrium Residence Sathon, Narathivas 24 Road Speaker: Craig Burton, AI and Digital Marketing Expert from Move Ahead Media (MAM) Skal International Bangkok Members and their Guests : 950 baht per person includes lunch, wine and talk. Non-Members: 1,650 baht per person Reservations: events@skalbangkok.com Craig Burton is a renowned expert at Move Ahead Media the leading Bangkok based dynamic company in the field of Digital Marketing. Craig with over a decade of experience, has previously worked with well-known names like MBK Group and Michelin, he has consistently been at the forefront of leveraging AI tools to enhance digital marketing performance. Synopsis of the Talk: Five AI tools you may use! •Anthropic's Claude is great for summarising long content. •Perplexity Chrome extension allows you to chat with websites, summarising content, answering questions, and more while you browse. •Feedly Leo is especially useful for researchers, helping them stay informed about industry news and trends. •Adobe's Speech Enhancer cleans up audio recordings, making them sound better, even if recorded with subpar equipment. •Google Drive. Leverage AI features in Google Drive, such as creating templates in Google Sheets and generating outlines in Google Docs. About Craig Burton: Craig Burton's extensive background in digital marketing is a prominent figure at Move Ahead Media, where he has been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of digital marketing with AI-driven solutions. About Move Ahead Media: Established in 2010, Move Ahead Media is an award-winning digital marketing company headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. As a premier global powerhouse, MAM secures page-one listings, amplifies visibility, and partners with industry giants like Google, Bing, Meta, TikTok, and DAAT to provide the best results and ROI for their clients. Beyond marketing, they are trusted marketing and online advertising specialists who deeply understand their clients' business models. Their team of experts consistently delivers innovative, proven results, setting industry benchmarks. More than just an agency, MAM is your digital marketing partner. About Skal International Bangkok: Skal International Bangkok is part of Skal International, the world's largest global network of tourism professionals. Our mission is to promote global tourism and friendship. We provide a platform for industry professionals to connect, exchange ideas, and stay updated on the latest trends and innovations in the travel and tourism sector. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into AI for marketing from an industry expert. Join us on Tuesday, 10th October, for a day of inspiration, networking, and delicious food. Reserve your spot today and embark on a journey to enhance your digital marketing skills! Membership Application: For those interested in joining Skal International Bangkok, please email memberships@skalbangkok.com for more information.
The UAE government partners with Mastercard to accelerate adoption of Artificial Intelligence
The UAE’s Artificial intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Office and Mastercard today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to increase Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities and readiness in the region. An initial focus of the effort will be dedicated to battling financial crime, securing the digital ecosystem, and driving inclusive growth in the UAE and beyond. Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications emphasized the UAE government's dedicated efforts towards strategic collaborations with the private sector and leading international companies. These collaborations have been recognized as pivotal catalysts for expediting the adoption of Artificial Intelligence, a crucial component of the nation's journey towards digital advancement and prosperity. He pointed out the significance of bilateral cooperation. He emphasized the importance of realizing the aspirations outlined in the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031. This strategy aims to consolidate the UAE's position as a leading hub for Artificial Intelligence. Concurrently, it seeks to foster the development of comprehensive technology-driven frameworks within priority sectors. Furthermore, His Excellency praised Mastercard's efforts in adopting AI, as well as their inauguration of a global center dedicated to Artificial Intelligence and advanced technology within the UAE. Investing in Enhanced Innovation The signing of this partnership comes as Mastercard unveiled its latest global Centre for Advanced AI and Cyber Technology in Dubai. In addition to developing AI-powered solutions to fight financial crime, the Centre will focus on securing the digital ecosystem and driving inclusive growth. It will also serve as a hub to nurture and hire local AI talent, including data engineers and data scientists, with a remit to accelerate AI innovation globally and service customers all around the world from the UAE. “AI plays a critical role in our operations, powering our products and fuelling our network intelligence to improve digital experiences, while reducing financial fraud and risk,” said Ajay Bhalla, president, Cyber & Intelligence at Mastercard. “The combination of this latest Advanced AI Centre and our partnership with the Government of the UAE will deliver greater value for our customers and ultimately reinforce trust in the digital ecosystem.” Mastercard's new centre – drawing on the company’s technical knowledge and expertise – will support a new Innovation Hub in the Emirate of Dubai. Under this program, governments and businesses from across the region will collaborate on new efforts to support the continued digital transformation. "The UAE is a global leader in developing innovative technologies to foster economic growth and drive digital transformation. For more than 35 years, Mastercard has been investing in the UAE to harness the power of technology for the good of the nation. By embracing the power of AI through this new partnership, we are ushering in the next generation of transformative technology, and actively supporting the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031,” said Dimitrios Dosis, president, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard. The Middle East is undergoing a rapid technological shift. According to IDC, investments in digital transformation are expected to double over the next few years in the Middle East. PwC estimates that AI will contribute $320 billion to the region and more than $15 trillion to the global economy by 2030. AI has the power to address some of today’s most pressing challenges, including reducing fraud while helping more people access financial services. Heritage of AI Innovation This Centre in Dubai is the latest in a series of investments Mastercard has made in Advanced AI, with existing centres in the US, Canada and India. To date, Mastercard has made use of AI most significantly and successfully in its efforts to enhance cybersecurity and user experiences. By applying a sophisticated AI engine, Mastercard protects more than 125 billion transactions from fraud every year – at speed and scale. However, today we stand at the precipice of yet another transformative leap in technology, fuelled by the accessibility of generative AI. With its ability to create new content and predict a wholes series of next steps, it has the potential to transform customer experiences, enable personalized interactions and reshape industries. At Mastercard we are using generative AI for many purposes, including through synthetic transaction data to supercharge fraud detection and boost approval rates. Our Centre in Dubai will help us develop these new and ground-breaking use cases, and with this knowledge we plan to establish additional Advanced AI Centres across the globe, to drive continued innovation.
Mastercard and Network International launch new Artificial Intelligence fraud-prevention solution
Mastercard announced that it is partnering with Network International, the enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa, to address fraud, declines and chargebacks in order to reduce costs and risk for acquirers. Through the partnership, Network will launch Mastercard’s Brighterion Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology across the region, providing transaction fraud screening and merchant monitoring to acquirers and businesses. According to the Nilson Report, payment card fraud losses are projected to hit USD49 billion by 2030. Furthermore, 68% of card fraud losses in 2020 were related to transactions where cards were not physically present. McKinsey estimates that AI technologies could potentially deliver up to USD1 trillion of additional value each year. With its sophisticated Artificial Intelligence, Brighterion learns the warning signs of fraud and alerts acquirers and merchants in real-time to prevent the completion of fraudulent transactions and costly chargebacks. In 2019, Mastercard made a strategic USD300 million investment as a cornerstone investor in Network, followed by an additional commitment towards developing innovative payment solutions. As part of this partnership, Mastercard supports Network via Brighterion’s AI technology, which combats the risk of fraud, reducing the operational overhead on acquirers and merchants while improving the experience for customers. Khalid Elgibali, Division President, Middle East and North Africa, Mastercard, said: “At Mastercard, we provide capabilities and services beyond card payments, using the latest cutting-edge technology to stay ahead of fraudsters as we secure the full payments ecosystem. Brighterion Artificial Intelligence capabilities are helping to reduce fraud and merchant risk, leading to safer transactions and a better consumer experience.” Nandan Mer, group chief executive officer, Network International, said: “We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Mastercard and expect to launch this revolutionary new AI technology across the region early this year. Adding Brighterion to Network’s range of solutions allows us to enhance our ability to provide financial institutions, merchants and their customers with safe, secure and seamless processing.”
Artificial Intelligence, data analytics and augmented reality for transforming tourism
Tourism Innovation Summit 2022 has once again hosted the Touristech Startup Fest entrepreneurship competition. In which startups from all over the world presented their ideas and business models to leading tourism companies and investors to revolutionise and drive innovation in the travel and tourism industry. Of the more than 4,000 startups that applied, 40 were selected as finalists to pitch at TIS2022, differentiated according to the segment of the tourism industry they focus on: Distribution Channels, Destinations, Hospitality, Mobility and Travel, Activities and Leisure and MICE. This year, 11 startups have been rewarded in the Touristech Startup Fest: The first of them was Hotel Treats, which has received the Sevilla City Office & La Fábrica de Sevilla Award for its platform to choose from a wide variety of meaningful alternatives and gift vouchers in the world's most important luxury hotels. This space allows you to find everything, from gastronomic experiences, spa and wellness, to romantic one-night getaways. Noytrall has received the WTTC Award for its guest consumption tracking service that allows hotels and guests to know exactly how much water and energy they are consuming. This service allows hotels to create a sustainable rate model by separating guest consumption from the base room rate. Also in the hospitality sector, e-Wand has been the winner of the Amadeus Venture Award. Its project uses cutting-edge technology to turn its customers' journey into a seamless and convenient experience with a single mobile application for hotels and restaurants. The solution provides the establishment with a simple way to organise and manage customer requests through computers or mobile devices. The Andalucía Lab Award has gone to Swap Your Travel, a digital solution to give a second chance to trips that, for various personal or professional reasons, cannot be enjoyed. Swap Your Travel is a platform that connects sellers and buyers and accepts all the existing modalities in the travel market: vouchers and/or plane tickets, train tickets and even hotel bookings or holiday packages. Beder has won the Telefónica Award. This is the social network that allows users to discover the destination of their next trip and book experiences. More than 100 influencers and 50 tourism businesses already collaborate with this innovative travel tool. The startup TOP Tourism Optimizer Platform has been rewarded with the PCT Cartuja Award. The initiative is a travel agency exclusively responsible for organising travel and services, through different providers, for government delegations, world leaders and institutions. In addition, the OMT rewarded five projects: Turbosuite, a startup from Seville that has developed a unique algorithm in the market that allows predicting and customising accommodation prices based on each client and their preferences; Aguardio, a simple solution that helps people to live more sustainably by reducing the amount of water they use in the shower; Midnightdeal, an app that helps travellers define a budget for their holidays; Eat INN, an initiative that brings together the best gastronomic offers in unique spaces designed for all types of palates, with a fixed price; Meep me, the sustainable urban mobility app that provides the routes that best adapt to the preferences of pedestrians. The more than 4,000 startups that applied to the Touristech Startup Fest have already become part of the world's first atlas of tourism startups. In the last edition, the Touristech Startup Fest rewarded the innovative projects of startups such as Aumentur, SmartGuide, Tourdata Tech, Indie Travel, OBW Street Style, Unblock the City, Skyzup, Visitmoov and Kolaboo.
The future of air travel lies in Artificial Intelligence
With one of its 300 aircraft taking off from somewhere in the world every 90 seconds, British Airways runs a hugely complex global operation, 24-hours a day. Alex Cruz, chairman and CEO, British Airways laid down the challenge to artificial intelligence experts to help him transform the customer journey. At the AI Summit at London Tech Week, Cruz asked delegates to help his team of 80 data scientists offer customers new, intuitive services, change the way tickets are sold, guarantee no bags are ever misplaced and replace airport queues with virtual ones. He encouraged entrepreneurs and start-ups to submit proposals to its parent company International Airlines Group's (IAG) accelerator programme, Hangar 51, which sees successful applicants embedded in the heart of the business working side by side with an international team of mentors and experts from across IAG. The 10-week accelerator nurtures start-ups with a broad range of technologies, enabling them to develop and test their products on a global scale. Cruz also outlined some of the advancements the airline is making using AI to improve the service it offers its customers. "Via Hangar 51, British Airways is currently working with technology start-up Assaia. Its intelligent software captures on video every moment from when an aircraft arrives at the airport to its departure, helping airline workers to see the numerous tasks going on around the aircraft (fuelling, cleaning, baggage and catering loading and unloading) and alerting them to issues that could delay the flight's departure," he said. British Airways is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve the airline’s operational efficiency, maintenance and to predict on board food uptake. The airline is also trialling automated vehicles at Heathrow, he added.
Artificial intelligence in hospitality – friend or foe?
Technology aims to resolve the pain points in travel. One of these pain points is the fact that the “one size fits all” package no longer applies to the modern day travellers who want unique experiences based on their preferences. “Technology fulfils the needs and requirements of the industry,” Frederic Saunier, Amadeus’ vice president for sales in the Asia Pacific, said in one of the sessions in ACTE Global Summit & Corporate Lodging Forum 2018. AI is the intelligent behaviour of computers or machines, which carry out the tasks that conventionally require cognitive function. AI is often used in automation and analysing big data. Hotels and travel management companies are increasingly using AI to carry out customer service tasks, which are important in managing bookings and service. When thinking of AI in the hospitality industry, my initial thoughts were chatbots that reply to our enquiries. However, chatbots are a small portion of artificial intelligence for there is a big picture when it comes to this technology. AI innovation in hospitality AI is playing an increasingly important role in the hospitality industry for it carries out some human functions that will potentially help hotel owners save significant money, minimise human error, and deliver superior service. GDSs also use AI to analyse data from customers, so they can draw conclusions about customers, or potential customers. Last year, Sabre Corporation announced that it will launch SynXis Analytics Cloud, which is a platform that uses AI to help maximise hotel revenue. The platform identifies opportunities for revenue and guest experience improvement and helps hoteliers avoid lost revenue by analysing data from operations, finances, room-stay production, ancillaries and rate-room-channel configurations to deliver targeted actionable insights. Amadeus will not be left behind as it has also invested a huge sum in developing technologies that help in travel sourcing and shopping. HRS Global Hotel Solutions also invests in technology, especially in AI, to create a seamless platform that will take care of the end-to-end process – from booking to payment solutions. HRS’s AI learns all the data and information put in by customers and curate the results based on customers’ preferences. Hotels, on the other hand, also use AI in various ways. Most hotels benefit from chatbots and messaging. AI chatbots are utilised on social media platforms responding to customers’ enquiries 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Some hotel giants are developing “smart rooms” powered by AI with the aim to redefine customers’ hotel experience. IHG collaborated with Baidu to launch 100 AI-powered Club InterContinental suites in hotels in gateway cities and key destinations across China this year. The rooms will feature voice-controlled technologies for human-computer interactive experience. Marriott is also developing the “Room of the Future” with Samsung combining AI and IoT in hotel rooms to augment customers’ stay in the hotel. Amazon’s Alexa entered the travel industry both in the front and back end operations of hotels. Alexa for Hospitality, which is supported on Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Plus models, will be integrated into 10 hotels in the US over the course of the summer months, with a greater uptake expected depending on overall feedback. On the backend, IDeaS Revenue Solutions has unveiled the first voice-based interface designed for a revenue management platform. IDeaS G3 RMS voice-interaction technology will allow all business stakeholders to access real-time data and performance metrics through smart speaker devices. Reservations about AI Not everyone welcomes AI. Some people have reservations when it comes to technology that tracks and targets them. Especially since the highly-publicised congress inquiry with Facebook, people became wary of their web footprint. Cybersecurity expert Eric Cole claimed that while this technology may improve customer service, it also represents a huge violation of personal privacy. Some hotels use electronic keys using the guests’ smartphones. However, the Bluetooth signal sent from your smartphone might be unencrypted and could be hacked from up to 15 feet away. "They know what type of coffee you order" "When you have these smart hotels, they have a token on your phone where they know where you go, they know what type of coffee you order, they know what you order in the restaurant," Cole said. There are valid concerns about privacy. AI can track our choices and present similar choices in the future, all for the sake of personalisation. Another concern raised against artificial intelligence is the fact that it will drive automation and will replace existing staff putting them out of work. By 2025, 50% of today's jobs will no longer exist because of AI. This will go up to 85% by 2030. This is a big shift from the traditional service-based model. The hospitality industry will surely benefit from using artificial intelligence in various ways beyond what is mentioned above, for example by looking for trends we never noticed before. This could include something as inconspicuous as noticing people eat less breakfast on Tuesday mornings so that the F&B team could order less food. As long as we are responsible with our use of information, it will open doors of opportunity for hospitality companies to further improve their services. People will be happy to share their information as long as it is safe for them to do so. On global scale, AI will also enable companies to track trends, from nationalities of guests to occupancy rate at certain times of the year, and see the bigger picture that will largely help them in making crucial decisions. However, artificial intelligence is like a coin, with two faces. Clearly, we are moving towards the time where many systems will be automated and personalised. We just need to ensure that we are working alongside with the computers to share our preferences to improve experiences without sacrificing our safety.
Artificial Intelligence: SITA’s drive to make lost baggage a distant memory
Not content with creating robot baggage handlers at Kansai International Airport and Osaka International Airport, SITA is now promising to end the frustration and expense of lost baggage with some nifty AI tech, according to a new report released today. The paper, SITA’s Intelligent Tracking: A Baggage Management Revolution, notes that more than 4.5 billion bags are handled by industry baggage systems each year but airlines and airports will have to cope with twice that number with passenger numbers set to double over the next 20 years. Already, through improvements to technology and processes, the air transport industry has halved its annual mishandling cost over the past decade from US$4.22bn to US$2.1bn. However, every mishandled bag is one too many and the industry continues to seek ways to reduce the number further. "baggage delivery becomes more secure and enables airports and airlines to deliver tailored baggage services to their passengers" Ilya Gutlin(below), president of SITA Air Travel Solutions, said: “We at SITA believe that harnessing data and AI in a meaningful way will revolutionize how we manage the air transport industry in the next decade. SITA has a unique role to play in realizing the potential of data and baggage management is one area that will benefit. It is an area we are strongly focused on, collaborating across the industry to innovate.” The industry’s immediate focus is on implementing the International Air Transport Association’s Resolution 753. The resolution requires member airlines keep track of each bag and share that tracking information with all involved in delivering those bags back to passengers at their destination. While the resolution will deliver accurate data on the journey undertaken by each and every bag, the industry is already looking beyond the resolution to develop an even more accurate model for baggage operations. Mr Gutlin went on to say, “The bag tracking data that will be generated and collected under Resolution 753 will provide the air transport industry with a rich stream of data. This can be enhanced with AI tools to create greater efficiencies in baggage operations and, ultimately, to improve our experience as passengers.” From an operations point of view, AI will allow airports and airlines to learn what baggage routes cause the most stress on their systems and what factors are most likely to cause them. These systems could also generate insight into the patterns of baggage movements that would enable airlines to deliver bags more effectively. Using AI, intelligent machines will enable baggage to be autonomously managed from the moment a passenger checks in their bag to when it arrives at the destination – all without human intervention. For example, in this vision of the future, autonomous loaders could be used to transport bags between the terminal and aircraft. Baggage data will also allow airlines and airports to provide passengers more relevant information on their baggage as it makes its journey from departure to destination. Already important progress in harnessing the power of AI has been made and the air transport community is learning from the experiences of the supply chain industry which is leading the way in implementing AI-led business models. Ilya Gutlin closed his comments by saying, “The digital transformation around baggage is already happening and the Intelligent Tracking: A Baggage Management Revolution paper discusses how harnessing AI will revolutionize our industry in the next decade. It will take time but AI will unleash the potential to make baggage operations more service orientated. This means baggage delivery becomes more secure and enables airports and airlines to deliver tailored baggage services to their passengers.”
Air New Zealand unleash artificial intelligence in Oz
Air New Zealand’s artificial intelligence-backed chat-bot, Bravo Oscar Tango (Oscar for short) has received his first international promotion – beginning work online in Australia. Oscar was launched in February 2017 initially on the airline’s New Zealand website to help customers with commonly asked queries, saving them time and offering a more personalised experience than searching through a traditional FAQ section online. The chat-bot was the airline’s first foray into the field of AI and was launched in beta, allowing him to learn from the questions asked by customers so the airline could continue to build him to meet the needs of his users. Air New Zealand chief digital officer Avi Golan says Oscar had a 7 percent success rate on his first day and is now able to provide the answers to customers’ questions 67 percent of the time, which is a great achievement for a young chat-bot. “While Oscar is still a bot in training, we’ve been delighted with the uptake which means we can increase his presence and introduce him online across the Tasman to help our Australia-based customers with their queries. We know customers generally turn to him when looking for quick answers on the day of travel and for booking flights, with hot topics including booking confirmation, baggage allowance and Airpoints queries.” “In the past 90 days Oscar has had around 55,000 conversations, typically receiving between 300 and 350 queries a day. On a busy day, he’ll receive more than 1,000 queries, with his peak demand times mirroring those of our call centre.” “In preparation for his promotion to Australia, Oscar has also been kept busy learning some distinctive Aussie lingo and sayings,” says Mr Golan. As well as helping customers with their queries, Oscar can sing, tell jokes and has also recently been launched on Air New Zealand’s mobile app to help customers on the go.
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December 2024 – GXT 2024, Guest Xperience Tech Summit & Expo
The program for the Guest Experience Tech Summit & Expo explores how technology transforms customer experiences across sectors. Through keynote sessions, panels, and workshops, attendees discover topics such as AI, automation, sustainability, and analytics. From reshaping guest interactions with AI and IoT to driving operational efficiency and sustainability, participants gain actionable insights to innovate in guest experiences.