First International Cohort of Leaders of Tomorrow Programme Announce Winners at World Travel Market Africa

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I am excited to announce that I have joined forces with Champions Speaker Agency, a premier agency specializing in providing top-tier Keynote speakers on AI and the future of technology. This collaboration represents a significant step in my journey as a global AI expert and speaker, allowing me to further my mission of educating and inspiring diverse audiences about the profound impact of artificial intelligence on our world. Champions Speaker Agency has a stellar reputation for connecting clients with thought leaders who are at the forefront of their respective fields. Working in 66 countries, their commitment to excellence and innovation aligns perfectly with my own values and goals. I’m confident that together we can drive meaningful conversations and spark innovative ideas that will help shape the future of technology. As a passionate advocate for AI, I know how crucial it is to demystify this transformative technology and make it accessible to everyone. Through my speaking engagements, I aim to break down complex AI concepts into understandable insights, empowering individuals and organizations to harness the potential of AI for positive change. Joining Champions Speaker Agency amplifies my ability to reach a wider global audience and make a more significant impact. In this new chapter, I look forward to collaborating with Champions' extensive network of clients, ranging from corporate leaders to educational institutions and beyond. Together, we will explore the exciting possibilities that AI and future technologies present, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of these advancements. Jack Hayes , Director of Champions says: "We are thrilled to welcome Katie King to the Champions Speaker Agency. As a world-leading AI expert, her insights and expertise will be invaluable to our clients. Katie's passion for technology and her ability to inspire make her a perfect fit for our roster of distinguished speakers." Champions’ head of AI and technology speakers, Mark Matthews says: “Our sister company has previously worked closely with Katie and always received amazing feedback, ranking Katie as one of the UK’s leading AI speakers and also voted in the top 15 digital disruption expert speakers . I am eager to embark on this journey with Champions Speaker Agency and to contribute to their esteemed roster of speakers." This partnership is an exciting opportunity to continue my work as a leading voice in AI and technology, inspiring and educating audiences around the globe. Having recently been selected as a top 15 women in tech speaker by Champions, I have no doubt that this new partnership will lead to many more great things and look forward to strengthening the relationship going forward. About Champions Speakers Agency Champions Speakers Agency is a leading provider of keynote speakers and experts for events worldwide. With a diverse roster of renowned professionals, the agency is committed to delivering inspirational and impactful speakers to meet the needs of their clients.

Is it me, or did we blink on New Year’s Eve of 2022 and somehow arrive at the last working day of 2023? Now, it may feel like this year went by in a flash, but when taking time to reflect, there’s actually a lot to make note of. Loads of exciting things happened this year in the world of AI, and as a result, it was a busy year for us here at AI in Business. Before we ring in the New Year, let’s reflect on some of 2023’s biggest highlights as I share some of what I learned through it all. Gen AI's Breakout Year It would be remiss of me not to lead with the biggest AI development of the year: generative AI. While this technology is not new by any means, 2023 was a boom year for it thanks to overwhelming levels of public interest in free tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, DALL E, and more. For many, these tools offered a first taste of AI and its capabilities, and a low-risk way to experiment with this technology. It is therefore unsurprising that it became the leading topic of 2023. But along with this new hype around Gen AI came hysteria, misinformation, and fear. I spent as much of this year boosting excitement about Generative AI as I did myth busting. There remains a disconnect between Gen AI’s actual capabilities and our expectations of it. As impressive as it is and as much as it has developed in this past year alone, it still can’t accomplish everything. One key lesson I shared in every Keynote speech and training session is that AI is an assistant, not a boss. It is here to augment, not replace. An Ever-Evolving World of Work Regardless, the Generative AI hype unfortunately spurred a lot of hysteria surrounding the future of jobs this year, with some outlooks more positive than others. The World Economic Forum released a Future of Jobs report for the first time since 2020. In the 2023 edition, they predicted that by 2027, 42% of business tasks will be automated and that as a result, 50% of organisations expect it to create job growth and 25% expect it to create job losses. On a bleaker note, Goldman Sachs made headlines in March and caused quite a stir after estimating that 300 million jobs could be lost or diminished by AI. Understandably, the future of work was a hot topic this year and will continue to be top of mind for professionals across every industry sector as we move into 2024. I had the pleasure of training and speaking to HR leaders and agents of change in Amman, Jordan in both March and June, and at the WorkBuzz Live event in London in November. My focus was helping them understand how AI will reshape how they approach recruitment, retention, employee satisfaction, and people management. Empowering the Next Generation Someday, those leaders and change makers will need to bring in fresh talent into their organisations and maybe even to fill roles that do not yet exist. In 2023, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to continue my work with the next generation of the workforce as they prepare for their future AI-enabled careers. This past spring, we took our Leaders of Tomorrow AI Schools programme international for the first time with our third cohort in Cape Town, South Africa. The insights and ideas produced by the students never cease to amaze and impress me, and certainly fill me with reassurance that our future is in very capable hands. I felt this sentiment again after delivering the annual Peake Lecture to the students at Eltham College earlier this month. One Step Closer to Widespread Regulation By the time those students enter the workforce, AI will be a more regulated technology thanks to strides made in 2023. The most notable of these is the progress the European Parliament made in passing the EU’s AI Act. The final details of the Act are currently being agreed upon by the various member countries, but it is expected to be passed and enacted in 2024. When that happens, the AI Act will become the world’s first official AI law and pave the way for other national frameworks. Here in the UK, a landmark AI Summit was held wherein the UK took steps to form its own regulatory body. Similar progress was made in Canada, Brazil, and China amongst others, with the lattermost enacting rules that regulate the development and use of all generative AI technologies. Alongside the progress being made at the national level, individual industries are making strides of their own towards regulation. This includes law itself, and this summer I had the chance to brainstorm and explore the dilemmas involved in embracing a currently unregulated technology with the legal counsel for some of the world’s top companies at the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Global Summit. Also, in Toronto, Canada, at the SAS Banking Summit, I led discussions with leaders from various global financial services firms about the future of banking. In such a heavily regulated industry, ethical AI adoption and application is of top concern. That’s why so many firms in the industry have restricted their teams’ use of open-source tools like ChatGPT. I expect we will see more industry bodies and individual companies coming up with their own frameworks and guidelines in the year to come. A Year of Firsts Thanks to the surge in AI intrigue and growth this year, 2023 took me to several new locations around the world for the very first time. In February I had the pleasure of visiting India for the first time. During a magnificent whirlwind ‘Golden Triangle’ tour, I developed a deep admiration for this wonderful and still developing country of promise and contradictions. Times are changing and it’s exciting to see progress in the cyber cities. India is currently ranked 15 th in the top 25 AI nations but has the 'the greatest upward potential' according to research by Tufts University's business school. When you consider that India stands out as a global leader in AI skill penetration surpassing even the United States, it’s easy to see how it could one day become an AI superpower. On the opposite end of the spectrum from bustling, vibrant, and busy India sits the tranquil and stunning landscapes of the Faroe Islands, which I had the pleasure of visiting to deliver a Keynote speech at Tonik. Situated in the North Atlantic and a self-governing archipelago that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Faroe Islands is far from an AI powerhouse clawing for dominance against the likes of the US, China, or even India. And yet, what Tonik and my Keynote there demonstrated is that every industry, role, and country around the world can benefit from AI regardless of its size or global standing. I see AI as a great equaliser, levelling the playing field between the heavy hitters and the underdogs. The Faroese are such bright, inspiring, and creative people whom I truly valued my time with, and I have no doubt that they will do great things with this technology. Keynotes and training took me to many exciting places, but also enabled me to work with many interesting people across a wide range of industry sectors. From talking packaging with Gallus in Switzerland, to shedding some light on the future of education for the supporters of Monaco Aide et Presence in Monte Carlo, to speaking about the future of flavour with The European Flavour Association (EFFA) in Amsterdam, it has been fascinating framing AI’s benefits and impacts through the lens of so many different sectors and roles. With demand for our AI services reaching new heights this year, various accolades rolled in as well. In 2023, I ranked in the top 10 of the Technology for Marketing Top 100 Marketing Influencers Index. I won the award for Top AI Strategist; was named a Top 10 Influencer to Follow by the AI Time Journal, and was featured in the CIO Times’ list of "Most Iconic Women Leaders Creating Waves in Modern AI Industry." Flattering for a humble girl from Tottenham. As lovely as these honours are to receive, they’re simply a perk. What I have truly found most rewarding this year - and in the time since I started my own AI journey a decade ago - is getting to stand in front of an interested audience and discuss the very real impacts of this revolutionary technology that is reshaping every aspect of our personal and professional lives. This past year has enabled me to do that at a bigger scale than ever before, and I am truly grateful. I also encourage those I work with to take a proactive rather than a passive approach to helping shape how AI evolves in their industry sector and country. Looking Ahead If the past few years have taught me anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. I could lay out my predictions for 2024, but that seems like a fool’s errand given how swiftly and often this technology evolves. Instead, I will close with my hopes for the year ahead. In a time of so much division and upheaval, my hope is that AI can help us make the world a better place. Technology cannot fix all the problems that man created, but it can help us work towards solving some of the UN's major goals linked to disease, climate change and much more. If this sounds like a pipe dream, I assure you it is not. I refer you to this TED talk from Max Tegmark, who I interviewed for my first AI book and admire deeply. He outlines a very optimistic outlook of how we can make AI work for us and not the other way around. I wish you all a very Happy New Year and look forward to working together in 2024. All the best, Katie King CEO of AI in Business

It has been a busy few months, with Keynotes and training opportunities taking me all over the world. I have had the honour of heading to the Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands, Monaco, Jordan, and beyond. On these trips, I have engaged in amazing and insightful conversations with professionals from various industries and job functions about their challenges and opportunities. But the one topic that always seems to come up is ethics and regulation. At present, AI is still technically unregulated. The EU is very close to enacting their AI Act, which would then become the world’s first official AI law. This will likely spur other nations to follow suit and serve as the blueprint for subsequent AI laws. In the meantime, various countries—including the Vatican—have published their own guidance and best practice to help provide guardrails. Industry and trade bodies have also done the same. But even so, many still fear AI and worry about its potential to cause harm. Is it possible for AI to be ethical, and how can that be achieved without proper regulation? Main Ethical AI Concerns Ethics are a major concern for any new technological advancement, not just AI. Any new, unexplored territory requires consideration and some governance so that it cannot turn sour or cause harm. Ethical AI is any use of AI that does not cause harm and does not contribute to harmful societal structures. Technology should make our lives better, not oppress us or widen existing gaps within our society. In the case of AI, the two primary concerns are privacy and bias and the resulting impacts that improper use of technology and poorly trained algorithms can have on society at large. AI is purely data driven. Unless we feed it information, it cannot do its job. Ethics come into play when we start to consider where this information is coming from, how it is sourced, how it is used, and how it is managed. Are data collection methods transparent and non-invasive? Are customers aware that their data is being collected and used? There is often an unspoken agreement between businesses and their customers these days wherein the customer agrees to let the business collect and use their data in exchange for better, more tailored experiences. Alongside this, there is an expectation that their information will be used responsibly and safely. We have seen the fallout from various data breaches over the years. When these breaches occur, businesses bear the consequences both operationally and reputationally. While there are no solidified AI laws yet, there are data protection regulations in place in the form of policies such as GDPR. These guidelines do offer some protection, but many fear that there are too many gaps and loopholes when it comes to AI. Potentially more dangerous is the impact of bias on AI use. While AI is not inherently biased, it is a product of the data it is trained on. If you put rubbish in, you get rubbish out. Therefore, we need to be mindful of what we are inputting into these algorithms and how that might impact the results produced. For example, we have previously seen issues with the use of facial recognition in law enforcement, as it was resulting in racial profiling. The algorithms behind these tools were trained on a biased data set that taught the AI that individuals of certain racial groups were more likely to be offenders, leading the technology to categorise innocent people falsely and unfairly as threats. These technologies may be well intentioned, but if trained improperly or not given proper oversight, they can become harmful. Bias can be extremely harmful in people-focused business functions such as HR and marketing. Say, for example, you’re looking to use AI for your hiring and recruitment. You would train the algorithm using data about your current staff and likely data from past successful employees. That information will train the algorithm to identify what a ‘successful’ candidate for your organisation looks like. That can be great for finding talent that may be a good culture fit. But consider this. If your organisation is predominantly male and white, you’ve just taught the algorithm to find more white male candidates. You may be overlooking candidates who would be perfect for the role simply because they do not match the criteria set by your data. That means less opportunities for groups who may already be underrepresented. In marketing, an AI system may not effectively forecast or make judgments for specific groups if it is trained on data that is skewed towards one race, gender, or socioeconomic group, which could result unwittingly in prejudice. The products customers are recommended, the messaging they receive, and the experiences they are delivered could all be impacted by bias. Should this happen, it may damage the brand’s reputation, generate unfavourable press, and result in diminished sales and clientele. This is a real problem right now, as AI is still widely unregulated though we have government and trade bodies working on that. But it is also a concern for the future, because if we don’t start off on the right foot now, we will only make the problem worse down the road. Ethical AI Behaviours So, what can be done? If there is no legal guidance for AI, how can we ensure it does not cause harm to ourselves, our businesses, our stakeholders, and our society at large? We as individuals have no say in how the AI tools themselves are created, but we do have power over how we use them. We also have a distinct advantage over technology: the ability to determine right from wrong. AI cannot make moral judgements the way that we can. It lacks the context and rationality that we as humans possess. We saw a prime example of this play out recently with KFC in Germany. The company’s marketing team trained an AI algorithm to monitor a calendar of events and holidays and send out push offers to customers related to that event. No one considered that Kristallnacht—which is the event that is largely regarded as the start of the Holocaust—was included on that calendar. As a result, the bot sent out a message to customers telling them to celebrate Kristallnacht with cheesy chicken. This of course sparked outrage and the brand was forced to apologise. While it is easy to point the finger here and say that AI was in the wrong, that is not actually the case. AI is a specialised technology trained to complete the specific tasks it is created for. In the KFC incident, AI performed its job exactly as it was supposed to. It followed the calendar it was trained on, and sent the offer. This is not a failure of technology. It is a failure of human oversight. That is the key to using AI ethically in an unregulated world. Humans need to remain in the loop and work in partnership with AI rather than leaving it to its own devices. AI is not perfect. It is not all knowing and all capable. Humans still have a part to play. It is on us to ensure that the decisions we make using technology are not harmful, and we need to be aware of potential risks. I have worked with many businesses to create their own ethical frameworks for their teams, and have trained many professionals on what to look out for. If you are interested in a training session, consulting, or booking a Keynote, get in touch with our team.

ChatGPT is an AI-powered language model developed by OpenAI, a research organization focused on developing and promoting friendly AI. This model is designed to generate human-like text based on a given prompt. In a short span of time after its release, ChatGPT has become incredibly popular, attracting over 1 million users in just 5 days - a feat that took Netflix 3 years and 5 months, Twitter 2 years, Spotify over 2 years, Facebook 10 months, and Instagram 2.5 months to accomplish. How ChatGPT Works ChatGPT is built on OpenAI's GPT-3 technology, which uses deep learning algorithms to analyse and generate text. The model is trained on a massive corpus of text data, which allows it to understand the nuances and context of language. When given a prompt, ChatGPT uses this understanding to generate a coherent and human-like response. Applications of ChatGPT in Business Businesses across various industries and functions, including marketing, sales, HR, public relations, operations, and management, are using ChatGPT to automate various tasks, improve efficiency, and enhance the customer experience. ChatGPT is used by a wide range of businesses, including but not limited to: Media and journalism Financial services E-commerce Customer service and support Marketing and advertising Healthcare Education Technology Government Telecommunications This shows the broad appeal and versatility of ChatGPT, as it can be used across various industries and business functions, from automating routine tasks to enhancing customer engagement. For example, ChatGPT can be used for content creation, customer service, lead generation, and data analysis. In the marketing department, ChatGPT can be used to create product descriptions, advertisements, and promotional content. In sales, it can be used to generate personalized sales pitch emails, follow-up messages, and product recommendations. In HR, ChatGPT can be used to automate the recruitment process by creating job postings, conducting initial candidate screenings, and scheduling interviews. ChatGPT has also been used by news outlets such as the Associated Press to generate articles, freeing up journalists to focus on more in-depth reporting and analysis. In addition, ChatGPT has been used by financial institutions to generate reports, analyse data, and make predictions. Advantages and Disadvantages of AI for Copywriting While ChatGPT and AI-powered language models have the potential to revolutionize the way businesses operate, there are also potential drawbacks to consider. One advantage of AI-powered copywriting is increased efficiency. ChatGPT can generate high-quality content quickly, freeing up time for human copywriters to focus on more strategic tasks. Additionally, AI-powered copywriting can also provide a consistent voice and tone for a brand, improving the customer experience. However, there are also potential drawbacks to using AI for copywriting. One disadvantage is the loss of creativity and individuality. While AI-powered models like ChatGPT can generate human-like text, they lack the unique perspective and emotion that a human writer brings to the table. Additionally, AI-powered models may also struggle with understanding context, leading to errors and inaccuracies in the text it generates. The Popularity of ChatGPT and AI Adoption The sensational popularity of ChatGPT is a clear indication that the general public is becoming more open to AI. For years, AI has been met with resistance and scepticism, but the ease of use and practical applications of AI-powered models like ChatGPT are changing that. This shift in attitudes towards AI opens the door for wider AI adoption across industries and functions. As businesses continue to explore the potential of AI-powered models like ChatGPT, it's likely that we will see even more innovative and impactful uses of AI in the future. Conclusion ChatGPT is a powerful AI-powered language model that has the potential to revolutionize the way businesses operate. From content creation to customer service, ChatGPT offers businesses a wide range of applications, making it a valuable tool for organizations Oh, by the way. Everything you’ve just read was fully written by ChatGPT based on the prompt below: I would like you to write a blog about ChatGPT. I need the blog to cover what ChatGPT is, how it works, and how popular it has become so quickly after its public release. Please include what ChatGPT may mean for the use of artificial intelligence in business going forward. How might various business functions such as marketing, sales, HR, public relations, operations, and management use the tool in their jobs? Include any relevant statistics and data that may support the argument. Please also include case studies and examples of how real businesses have used ChatGPT successfully. Include a section about the advantages and disadvantages for using AI for copywriting tasks. Does using OpenAI hinder creativity? In the blog, please mention that ChatGPT reached 1 million users in just 5 days, a feat that took Netflix 3 years and 5 months, Twitter 2 years, Spotify over 2 years, Facebook 10 months, and Instagram 2.5 months to accomplish. The tone of the blog should be both engaging and informative. Finally, please discuss what the sensational popularity of ChatGPT may mean for the general public's openness to AI. After so much resistance for so long, what does it mean that so many people are so readily engaging with AI? Does this open the door for wider AI adoption? Perhaps you could tell right away that the first part of this blog was not written by a human, or maybe you had no clue. Either way, one must admit that this technology is impressive. ChatGPT is by no means the first technology of its kind. In fact, we have been interacting with this exact type of technology for years now without even realising it. Think about customer service chats on websites, or your home’s smart speaker, or Siri in your phone. All of these function the same way ChatGPT does and are capable of answering queries based on verbal or written prompts. So ChatGPT may not be the first - and now that Google have publicly released Bard , ChatGPT is not even the only free generative AI tool out there - but OpenAI have invested heavily to ensure that their tool one of the smartest. With ChatGPT’s generative AI, technology can now replicate creativity. It can produce content based on queries, and draw from data from other past interactions to inform its outcomes. This AI can write a blog as it did here, draft reports, create computer code, or theorise on potential reasons behind an error you might be experiencing. Recently, the tool even sat the medical exam for qualification to become a doctor, and it nearly passed. The possibilities are thrilling but the outcomes are imperfect. ChatGPT is impressive, but it is also limited. If you reread the prompt we fed the bot for this blog and then reread the output it provided, you may note that the bot did exactly as instructed, but not much more. The outcome hit on every point we requested, but was not able to add any real analysis or depth. In fact, ChatGPT identified this as one of its own weaknesses in the ‘Advantages and Disadvantages’ section above: “While AI-powered models like ChatGPT can generate human-like text, they lack the unique perspective and emotion that a human writer brings to the table. Additionally, AI-powered models may also struggle with understanding context, leading to errors and inaccuracies in the text it generates.” The good news for human copywriters is that their jobs will not disappear because of this tool. The potential bad news Is that businesses become so wrapped up in the hype of the technology that they look past its limitations and make unwise decisions as a result. Since its public release, we have seen loads of buzz on social media, with opinion pieces published in credible journals such as Forbes and The Guardian that praise it as a game-changing tool of the future. ChatGPT will forever alter how we approach certain tasks, but its actual capabilities are not the reason for that. In fact, ChatGPT’s ‘intelligence’ is not its biggest benefit at all. Over a million people have tested the tool since its public release in early January of 2023, and for many, all it took was entering one prompt to become intrigued by generative AI. For years, AI has been talked about as this far off disruptor coming to reshape and upend our professional lives, all while working quietly in the background of our lives. The pandemic opened many minds up to the possibility of new technology, but there was still a lot of hesitance and resistance in the marketplace. ChatGPT is probably the first direct, conscious interaction many individuals will have with AI. And it would seem that just one interaction has been all it takes to whet the appetite and make even the biggest sceptic intrigued. That shift in attitude and openness is the biggest benefit ChatGPT will bring to businesses. Businesses looking to adopt AI but facing cultural hurdles or buy-in challenges now have something concrete they can use with their teams to enable them to experience this technology for themselves. This way, teams can become familiar with it, see its capabilities, but also see its limitations first hand. Once teams become more comfortable with AI or even excited about it, that opens up the door for more. ChatGPT is the base level of this technology, but it is a fantastic stepping stone leading to more advanced applications or innovations. Our advice: If you are going to use ChatGPT, use it wisely. It is great to be excited about this tool, but it is also essential to be realistic about it. Yes, ChatGPT is smart and can assist with many of your day-to-day tasks, but it is not perfect and is not infallible. Therefore, it should not be left without human oversight. Rest assured; your job is still safe. Play around with the tool, get a feel for AI, and then think about how else you might be able to use it. The possibilities are truly endless. If you are interested in consulting with our experts on integrating AI into your business and preparing your teams, please get in touch with us.

We’ve had the festive snow. The tree is up, and the lights are twinkling. It all looks wonderful on the surface. But I know it’s been such a tough year for many people, on many different levels. Rather than focusing on the struggles of this year, it’s important to take time to appreciate all the good things 2022 brought. As our team prepares to switch off for the festive period, I am reminded of just how much we have to be proud of from the past 12 months. We started the year off strong with the publication of my second book, AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing, which has been well received around the world. In March, we hosted a launch event at the R 2 Factory in London, where we gathered several of the book’s contributors for a series of fireside chats and celebrated the book with family, friends, and colleagues. The success of the book led to several podcast appearances, article contributions, and keynotes around the world. This year, I delivered sessions to GITEX, the ICCO Summit, the Digital Transformation Expo, World Travel Market, Ignite London, and more. Our team delivered training for organisations around the world representing a wide range of industries and job functions. Year on year, the eagerness to learn about this remarkable and game-changing technology grows, painting a promising picture for the future. Speaking of the future, 2022 was another great year for our Leaders of Tomorrow in Tech AI schools programme. We hosted our second cohort of the programme at a school in south London, delivering sessions designed to help the students prepare for AI’s impact on their future careers. This year’s competition produced some amazing projects, with the students submitting their ideas for ways AI can be applied to issues such as gentrification, the identification of endangered species, improved accessibility for the disabled, and supply chain optimisation. The students had the opportunity to network with professionals at the Digital Transformation Expo in London, where the winning team was honoured in an awards presentation. We have already begun planning for our third cohort of the programme, which we aim to launch in 2023. But even among all the good, we cannot overlook the difficulties and challenges. A senseless war in western Europe has cost many their lives, their homes, and their peace. Cost of living climbed higher and higher, leaving many in hardship. For many, this will be their first holiday without a loved one. I lost my father and mother in law at the end of the year, and I am still finding that the grief dims the lights a little and adjusting to loss can take longer than you realise. Despite it all, we persist. We will experience more highs and lows, more peaks and valleys. We will win and lose. We will love, laugh, celebrate, cry, struggle and thrive. That’s the beautiful thing about life: it goes on even when all feels impossible. So, I hope you all find some peace over the coming weeks and have a chance to relax with family and/or friends. Or just peacefully, in your own company. Switch off your phone. Eat that yummy food, play those games, and make new memories. Above all, be brave. Be proactive and tenacious. Push aside imposter syndrome and carve out some wonderful plans for 2023. See you all next year! Best wishes and happy holidays,  Katie King CEO, AI in Business

After a challenging few years, travel is back on the agenda for nearly all major destinations worldwide. While this comes as good news for travellers who have been grounded for far too long and for economies that depend on the capital that tourism and hospitality bring, it does put some pressure on businesses in the industry. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council , before the pandemic Travel & Tourism’s direct and indirect impacts accounted for 1 in 4 of all new jobs created across the world, 10.3% of all jobs (333 million), and 10.3% of global GDP ($9.6 trillion USD). Global lockdowns and travel bans majorly impacted the industry, with the number of jobs falling from 333 million to 271 million. While the industry managed to recover slightly in 2021, 2022 has presented its own set of challenges. While guests and passengers enthusiastically returned to travel, staff did not . During the peak of travel season, we saw flights cancelled , chaotic airport queues , and baggage piled up due to staff shortages. But the troubles don’t stop at the airport. Hotels, bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues have all faced their own staffing shortages. Competition for talent is fierce and these shortages cause disruption. For businesses still working to recover the capital they lost during the pandemic, this is a particularly difficult hurdle. These challenges also pose a threat to guests and customers’ overall experience. Some guests may be understanding about understaffing or any resulting hiccups, but their overall expectations have changed. Managing these expectations is a challenge for travel and tourism in normal circumstances. Meeting—or exceeding—these expectations with limited resources adds another layer entirely. AI is an incredibly powerful tool for helping businesses overcome their hurdles to gain a competitive edge, and organisations around the world seem to agree. In IBM’s Global AI Adoption Index 2022 , 35% of companies reported using AI in their business and organisations are 13% more likely to have adopted AI in 2022 than in 2021. An additional 42% of companies reported that they are exploring AI. However, travel was ranked as one of the industries which is adopting the least. Does that mean AI has nothing to offer hospitality, tourism, and travel? Absolutely not. In fact, quite the opposite. Here are some of AI’s top use cases across tourism, travel, and hospitality that may be exactly what businesses in these industries need to overcome to get ahead: Chatbots and Virtual Assistants Chatbots are one of the most popular forms of AI used in Travel and Tourism today, and for good reason. These solutions are easy to adopt yet effective and can be massively helpful for improving customer experience with little to no human intervention. These tools have also improved in recent years thanks to advancements in natural language processing (NLP). Most airlines, hotel chains, travel agencies, and booking providers employ this technology in their business to help with tasks such as answering questions, providing personalised recommendations, sharing important updates related to the customer’s itinerary, cross selling relevant products (i.e., rental cars and experiences), making reservations, and more. AskSuite is one such tool and is already in use by over 2,000 hotels. Their AI-powered assistant provides an automated service on desktop and mobile websites, social media, and WhatsApp that can answer relevant questions and help guests any time of day. In room, SuitePad’s smart tablet devices engage guests through personalised push notifications, the ability to answer their queries, and booking capabilities. In addition to creating their own bots, many hoteliers and airlines have partnered up with two of the most well-recognised and most used Virtual Assistants on the market: Alexa, Cortana, and Siri. SONIFI is the largest in-room technology provider in hospitality and is used by top global hotel chains including Hilton, Marriott International, IHG, Hyatt, Wyndham, and Radisson. Their interactive solutions and smart room technology is what powers many of the Alexa and Google devices which guests interact with to control their environment, receive recommendations and make in-room purchases. US-based carrier United Airlines offers an app on Amazon’s Echo that allows travellers to book flights and check in. Before heading off to the airport, passengers transiting through Heathrow can ask their Alexa for an update on their flight status. With many reliable vendors already in this space, the barrier to entry is low for businesses in these industries looking to integrate these smart assistants into their website, social media, or mobile apps. Robot Staff Virtual Assistants aren’t the only ‘bots’ making their way into hotels, airports, bars, and restaurants. Many are introducing physical robots as part of their teams. Relay Robotics is the top provider in this space, and their robot butlers are already in use by IHG Hotels, Marriott, Hilton, Wyndham, Mandarin Oriental, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, Hyatt, and various independent hotel brands. These automated butlers can deliver room service and other items to guest rooms, assist with housekeeping, and alleviate pressure on restaurant wait staff. Similar robots created by CTRL Robotics are in use at Hotel Sky in the Sandton district of Johannesburg, South Africa. The hotel employs 3 robot concierges named Lexi, Micah and Ariel that can deliver room service, provide travel information, and can drag up to 300kg of luggage from the lobby to guests’ rooms. These bots are helping handle hospitality’s staffing shortages as well. Cecilia.AI is a robotic bartender that mixes and serves cocktails and uses artificial intelligence to talk to customers, while F&P Robotics’ Barney bartender can mix dozens of cocktails, disinfect itself, and even tell jokes. Italy’s Makr Shakr offers two bartending bots that have been installed on nine Royal Caribbean cruise ships. Nala Robotics has developed three fully automated chef robots, capable of making hundreds of different dishes from various cuisines. Their proprietary AI chef hardware and software can adapt and create dishes precisely as customers request them, ensuring their food is customised to their preferences and dietary requirements. However, this doesn’t always work out, as demonstrated by Japan’s Henn’Na Hotel, which I featured in my first book . The innovative hotel was fully staffed by robots when it opened in 2015, but in 2019, it cut its 243-robot workforce in half after the experience failed to reduce costs or workload for its employees. The failure stemmed from the robot's inability to deliver on basic functions, signalling that the algorithms were not adequately trained. Some robots were retained in the areas where they proved effective, and today humans and robots work hand-in-hand at Henn’Na. If trained correctly, these bots have major potential to help alleviate some of the pressures on human staff across tourism and hospitality. Management and Operations Beyond introducing robot staff, tourism and hospitality businesses can help lighten the load of human staff and maximise their effectiveness. AI can assist with various time-consuming activities such as booking management, marketing, and property management. Siteminder is the industry’s leading service provider for this, offering tools that enable hospitality businesses to sell across platforms, market their properties, access real-time insights, manage bookings and guests, keep track of payments, and more. Actabl’s ALICE platform helps connects all departments of a hotel to improve their communications and help save time. The full ALICE suite includes tools for front of house, housekeeping, maintenance, service delivery, and guest relations. These tools help to maximise the effectiveness of understaffed teams and provide real-time insights into what’s happening on the property. Businesses in the travel industry are turning to AI to streamline their operations and maximise their resources, especially airlines and airports. For example, the Netherlands’ Eindhoven Airport is currently undergoing a pilot programme through 2023 using an AI system called BagsID to streamline the process of moving and tracking passengers’ luggage. Instead of using physical bag tags or RFID, travellers upload a photo of their baggage through a BagsID-connected app, which automatically links the bag to their flight information for easy check in, tracking and pick up. When travel resumed amid the pandemic, Etihad Airways used AI and automation to screen passengers for any visible symptoms of coronavirus to prevent any potential transmission on board their flights. Delta Airlines developed and built a full-scale digital simulation of its operations, which an AI system uses to suggest ways pilots can manoeuvre the aircraft during bad weather to cause the least disruption to passengers onboard. Air France uses AI to analyse flight data to assess fuel efficiency of journeys and reduce emissions, and British Airways uses AI to improve its operational efficiency and maintenance, and to predict on board food uptake. While technology may not cure tourism and hospitality’s woes overnight, it can help to alleviate some of the pressures on understaffed teams without sacrificing guest experience. The examples here are just a few of the ways in which the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries can benefit from the use of AI, and it is likely that these use cases will expand as more businesses adopt.  If you’d like some more examples from tourism as well as other industries such as manufacturing or retail, check out AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing .

LONDON, 13th October 2022 - The second cohort of a project launched to educate young people on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the future of work and society has come to a close with an awards presentation at the Digital Transformation EXPO.

On 11 October 2022, AI in Business CEO Katie King participated in a fireside chat and book signing for AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing at the Global Dev Slam event in Dubai. Global Dev Slam is one of several events that make up GITEX Global, the world’s largest tech show. Read on to hear what Katie had to say about the development of her second book and the future of AI across business functions.