Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool and teachers and students are now realizing its potential, says Reza Etemad Sajadi, associate professor at EHL Hospitality Business School.
Calling ChatGPT a potential “game changer,” Reza said the AI chatbot developed by OpenAI is still in the early stages of adoption in the hospitality industry. Concerns about loss of employment due to this cannot be ruled out.
in an interview with business lineReza discusses the adoption of ChatGPT across industries and hospitality business schools and the changing requirements of recruiters.
How big is ChatGPT and AI for the hospitality industry?
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for a long time, and its impact is being felt across sectors such as manufacturing and finance. The impact on hospitality and customer-facing expertise in this area was limited. But ChatGPT put AI back in the spotlight and people want to know what impact AI might have on the (hospitality) sector.
It’s early days at the moment, but there’s fear and concern on the one hand and excitement on the other.
Could you elaborate on the last part?
Like all technological advances, AI and ChatGPT can be game-changing. Given the pace of ChatGPT’s progress, the fear of unemployment cannot be ruled out. Private investment in AI is on the rise, with some estimates that the loss of fixed jobs will increase significantly.
In terms of excitement, AI gives hoteliers the opportunity to experiment with new areas of customer service. For example, there are robot-run hotels in Japan with virtually zero human intervention or intervention.
Similarly, AI could provide even more privacy for guests, such as ordering through in-room apps, interacting with chatbots, and easy check-in. A simplification of the central reservation system could also come to pass, and there are several touchpoints he can address through AI before entering the hotel.
But it would also be interesting to see how guests interact with AI and chatbots, and their level of comfort with such interactions in the long run. Can we improve sociability between humans and systems simply by inputting selected parameters of the affective quotient? Is it?
How are business schools responding to these changes?
In 2022, AI has led to the evolution of educational technology in categories such as VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality). This has helped create virtual campuses and hybrid models of teaching and immersive learning experiences. With students around the world still dealing with COVID-19 and its aftermath, hybrid learning has helped. Now, as the world moves forward and ChatGPT is leveraged, the classroom experience is being reshaped. This can be used to generate more case studies or create multiple choice questions. These two are the simplest usage.
Human interaction is still important, but at the same time, as teachers, we need to embrace new teaching methods and be aware of how our students are using ChatGPT for their reports, assignments, etc. The focus should be on finding solutions, introducing new technologies throughout the course, curricula and training methods, and student assessment.
So will recruiters also look for different or additional skill sets?
Yes. It is possible. Curriculum and programs must be adaptable to the way the profession evolves. And the introduction of AI will change the skills that recruiters focus on across the student body.
But are you worried about AI and ChatGPT replacing teachers?
i don’t think so. Classroom and face-to-face interactions continue to be attractive learning environments. Teachers must find new ways to inspire their students. Inspiration happens in the classroom in real time. Depends on your academic level.
(I was in Lausanne, Switzerland at the invitation of the EHL Hospitality Business School.)
