Last issue we talked about a movie about AI that scared the crap out of us; this week it is an essay from Bill Gates (if we have to tell you who Bill Gates is, you should unsubscribe now 😁).
Back in 1995, he wrote his now-famous “Internet Tidal Wave” memo, warning that the internet was about to change the rules. Just for fun, I ran his predictions through AI to see how they held up 31 years later. Its verdict: roughly 85% right. He missed some of the details, but absolutely nailed the big picture. So when he publishes a nearly 6,000-word essay arguing that the transition to AI will be “one of the most turbulent times in human history,” it’s probably worth paying attention.
His predictions aren’t exactly light reading:
- Many jobs will disappear permanently. Entry- and mid-level jobs are particularly vulnerable as AI becomes capable of working without human supervision.
- This will happen much faster than previous technology shifts. AI already works on devices we own, speaks our language and, as Gates puts it, “can adapt to us.”
- It won’t stop with desk jobs. He expects AI and robotics to eventually affect physical work too, specifically mentioning hospitality and construction.
- Some work should remain human. Gates calls this idea “Human Reserved,” intentionally protecting certain roles even when machines become capable of doing them.
That last one really stuck with me.
Most hotel AI conversations today are about what we can automate: reservations, revenue management, guest messaging, marketing, scheduling, reporting. And if AI can eliminate some of the mind-numbing work we’ve subjected hotel employees to for decades, sign me up.
But Gates raises a much more interesting question:
What shouldn’t we automate?
Hospitality is supposed to be about taking care of people. AI may eventually be better, faster, and cheaper at a surprising amount of what happens inside a hotel, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we should let it do all of it.
Twenty years from now (or maybe 3), Gates may look wildly optimistic, wildly pessimistic, or remarkably prescient. But I suspect “Human Reserved” is an idea we’re going to hear a lot more about.
What parts of hospitality do we want to keep human?
