Sustainability

AI used for Food Waste monitoring

My experience with the usage of AI is related to "Intelligent Scales" used to monitor food waste in the kitchens. This technology is combining scales and a camera that can analyse the content of the bin and help to make a choice when it comes to categorize the type of food waste, for example: trimmings, french fries, ...

AI for sustainability: an oxymoron?

AI is ushering in a new era of innovation and efficiency within the hospitality industry by enhancing utility consumption and waste management, ensuring regulatory compliance, and promoting eco-friendly behaviors among guests[1]. These benefits appeal to managers for their cost-effectiveness and competitiveness[2], while environmental advantages, like reducing food waste[3], are clear. Yet even the most adamant proponent of AI recognizes the challenges of data privacy, ethics, and the risk of over-reliance on technology [4]. Often overlooked are the energy demands of AI, such as AI-powered chatbots consuming the energy equivalent of 33,000 homes. Additionally, demand for new data centers to support AI is rising, with their own significant environmental and social issues[5]

AI in sustainable hospitality: Complementing human efforts for optimal results

While AI and technology are often heralded as transformative tools in the push for sustainability, especially in sectors like hospitality, it is crucial to recognise their limitations. AI can optimise energy usage, streamline operations, and provide valuable insights, but it does not physically insulate walls or address the skills gap necessary to design, develop, and construct hotels and buildings sustainably. Implementing sustainability measures, such as installing energy-efficient insulation and reducing embodied carbon, relies heavily on skilled labour and new construction practices. These physical and human elements are indispensable and cannot be replaced by AI.

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Embedding Sustainability into a Hotel Starts with Leadership

Organizational structures and job titles grow and evolve the same as every other facet of running a business and adapting to the times. Two decades ago, we may have written about the dawn of online room sales and how hotels would be wise to carve out a ‘social media manager’ role which was quite novel at the time. Today it’s all but anathema to not have a team member solely devoted to this area or specific responsibilities assigned to the marketing director, depending on the size of the company.

When it comes to reducing or eliminating food being wasted and transforming diets, what holds us back?

The big problem

Our global food systems need an overhaul. We are wasting food at every stage of the food cycle and a large proportion of the food we are growing is arguably not good for us or the planet – the waste of resources is magnified if the food we do produce minimal nutritional value in the first place.

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