Jeff Kim, CEO at Yanolja Cloud, is a transformative business leader at the forefront of technology, travel and digital innovation.
Many people worry that bringing more AI into our lives will make the world feel colder, less human and lead to job losses and widening inequality.
But think about the moments in travel that frustrate you most: waiting in a long check-in line after a red-eye flight, spending half an hour on hold with an airline to fix a delay or repeating your room service order twice to make sure it is right. These are not human moments. They are points of friction, and they are exactly where AI agents can help.
Why This Moment Matters
AI agents are not just smarter chatbots. They are systems that can plan, reason and take action across multiple steps. In travel, that means moving beyond a basic assistant function and coordinating entire workflows in real time. They can rebook a delayed flight, re-prioritize housekeeping schedules or negotiate with suppliers on behalf of a traveler.
This shift is already taking place at Google, Expedia and OpenAI, where they have all launched itinerary and concierge pilots that create travel plans, book trips and resolve issues without human intervention. Booking Holdings’ CFO recently said that companies ignoring this moment are “probably sleeping.” The question for hospitality leaders is not whether this technology will reshape the industry, but how to design it to serve both guests and staff effectively.
The AI Productivity Pill
Adopting AI is like taking a capsule that boosts productivity overnight. The first pill gives an edge, but the real value comes from continuing to take them. With the right data and infrastructure in place, companies can take as many pills as needed. Each one makes operations smarter, decisions faster and the guest experience better.
PwC research shows that global GDP could be up to 14% higher by 2030 as a result of AI, which is the equivalent of an additional $15.7 trillion added to the world economy. This makes AI adoption one of the most significant commercial opportunities in today’s economy.
Picture two companies. One uses AI every day, automating workflows, refining data and learning from each interaction. The other does not. After a year, the first company has shorter wait times and new revenue streams. After five years, its advantage is difficult to catch up to. AI adoption is not a single project. It is a habit, and the earlier companies begin, the greater the benefit over time.
Making Hospitality More Human
Making hospitality more human means removing the tasks that make travel feel transactional and giving staff the time to connect with guests. The goal is to use technology to scale human expertise, not to replace it.
When AI agents handle the hidden work, employees can greet travelers after a long trip without rushing back to the office, offer meaningful recommendations and resolve problems immediately rather than juggling multiple manual tasks.
We are already seeing why this matters. According to a recent AHLA survey, about 65% of hotels report ongoing staffing shortages despite higher pay and other efforts to improve hiring. Roles like housekeeping are especially affected. These shortages make it hard for staff to focus on guest-facing, high-touch service because too much time is spent on routine or back-end tasks.
At the same time, data from PwC’s Global AI Jobs Barometer also shows that industries most exposed to AI are seeing three times higher growth in revenue per employee, indicating that AI adoption is helping workers become more productive and valuable.
AI does not eliminate human connection. It allows more space for it.
The Leadership Responsibility
As leaders embrace AI, their foremost responsibility is to design systems that serve people first. Research from MIT Sloan Management Review and BCG shows that organizations realizing the greatest returns from AI are those that invest heavily in governance, training and human oversight.
In hospitality, this means using AI to enhance human judgment, enabling more accurate, data-driven decisions rather than relying solely on intuition, not to replace it. Every automated action, whether adjusting room rates, scheduling staff or resolving guest requests, should be explainable, ethical and guided by human supervision.
The biggest mistake leaders can make is treating AI as a cost-cutting shortcut instead of a capability-building journey. Data integrity, transparency and inclusion must be foundational to ensure effective human oversight. When implemented responsibly, AI also strengthens the human connection by freeing people to focus on more creative, empathetic and differentiated services.
The Next Five Years Will Feel Different
Within five years, hotels will coordinate their operational processes with AI. Rooms will be ready faster because housekeeping schedules can be updated in real time. Check-in lines will move faster because the system can add more kiosks when needed. Guests will feel recognized because staff will have time to focus on them.
This future is not far away. Companies that adopt AI agents early and design them with people in mind will define what hospitality feels like in 2030.
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