Having covered the hotel industry for years now, I've heard multiple times from executives in interviews and on conference panels some variation of "A robot can't clean a hotel room."
It evolved to "A robot can't change sheets" or something else like that since some hotels use robo-vacuums.
Along with "Hospitality is about people serving people," these have been the go-to refrains any time they address the growing role of artificial intelligence and automation in general in the hotel industry.
The Wall Street Journal this week ran a story about a new robot designed to act as a personal housekeeper for the low, low cost of $20,000 or $499 a month for a minimum of six months. The 1X Neo is a 5-foot, 6-inch tall, fabric-covered robot made to fill your dishwasher, fold your shifts and more, apparently. Also, they are currently controlled by people in a VR headset while its AI brain learns from experience what dishwashers look like.
I recommend you read the story. It's an interesting look at a newer development, and you can both marvel at the technological advances made to create this while also realizing the current limitations as it took about two minutes to fold one shirt.
At least as presented here, this robo-butler is designed to help around the house, but clearly there are implications for hotels down the line. Maybe this robot, or a future one, would be able to grasp the sheets to make a bed. Maybe it can spray and wipe a bathroom mirror. Maybe it can clean a toilet.
It's exciting to think about the possibilities that new technology can open up. Each new development opens so many possible pathways.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's heed the words of the great Dr. Ian Malcolm of "Jurassic Park" fame.
"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn't stop to think if they should."
Now, I'm not about to go on about robots going rogue and turning against guests like some sort of housekeeping Terminator unit. Happy to talk about it while at a cocktail reception during a hotel conference, though.
No, what I'm referring to is the overexcitement about what AI and robotics can do that would end up replacing human beings. I'm a big fan of using technology to help make people's lives and work easier. Afterall, I am writing this on a computer instead of by typewriter (a technological advancement of its own) or by hand with pen and paper.
Housekeepers do not have an easy job. It's physical labor with lots of repetitive motion and long hours on your feet. There's a reason why unions have pushed to spell out how many rooms a housekeeper can clean during a shift. If there's new technology that can alleviate some of the physical burden, I would say it's worth exploring.
But if we're talking about something that'll take jobs away from people, that's a problem. Yes, the hotel industry has a lot of job openings, especially when things are going well, but employers should be mindful about new policies, practices and innovations that may threaten someone's livelihood.
There are a lot of people worried across all sectors about what AI and automation means for their jobs, because there's really no substantial safety net in place, especially not one that can hold a lot of people all at once.
The good news, though, is we have some time to think about ways to implement new technology that assists workers instead of just replacing them. I mean, we probably have a few years left, and then we'll need to talk about the T-800 unit bringing fresh towels to a guest's room.
You can reach me at bwroten@hotelnewsnow.com as well as on LinkedIn.
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