CES 2019: How artificial intelligence can boost Las Vegas tourism

The advancement of artificial intelligence could have a growing impact on Las Vegas’ tourism industry.

Sayon Deb, a senior research analyst for Arlington, Virginia-based Consumer Technology Association, said AI experts are more bullish than consumers on the technology’s influence on travel and tourism.

AI can help with “recommendations, as well as catering to consumers’ specific needs, personalization as well as faster response times,” Deb said during his presentation at the 2019 CES Monday.

Steven Hummel, another senior research analyst at CTA, said augmented reality is a feature that could attract tourists to Las Vegas. For example, he said augmented reality glasses could suggest a restaurant to a visitor walking down the Strip based on their food preferences.

According to data from Google, 57 percent of American travelers believe brands should tailor their information based on personal preferences or past behaviors, a task that could be accomplished with the help of AI.

Overall, Hummel said he was unsure if AI would affect tourism rates in Nevada.

“Tourism’s always high in Vegas,” he said.

Influence on job market

Hummel said AI is also going to impact jobs across the globe. CTA found 46 percent of surveyed members believe AI and machine learning skills are in high demand at their companies.

Hummel said AI is often looked upon as a “job killer,” be he believes AI jobs will help strengthen the economy.

“It’s not so much taking jobs away as reshaping the job market,” he said. “Humans will complement the tasks performed by AI.”

He pointed out ride share company Lyft’s partnership with autonomous vehicle company Aptiv in Las Vegas. While the vehicle is self-driving, there is an employee at the wheel at all times, leading to “jobs (Las Vegas) didn’t have before,” Hummel said.

Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0233. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.