Wednesday, March 13, 2024
TUI‘s new AI policy aims to harness tech benefits, ensuring ethical use and employee skill-up, emphasizing human decision-making in HR processes.
The Executive Leadership and the Employee Representation Committee at TUI, a key player in the global tourism industry, have collaboratively developed a comprehensive “Strategy Document” on artificial intelligence (AI) utilization within the global travel sector. This document highlights the critical role of AI in enhancing the tourism experience while considering its implications for the workforce within the tourism and global travel industry. For the inaugural occasion, it establishes clear guidelines for AI deployment and application within TUI’s operations, symbolizing a proactive stance towards embracing AI innovations for the mutual advantage of the organization and its staff, as well as the broader global tourism industry.
A pivotal aspect of this strategy involves equipping the workforce, integral to the tourism sector, with the necessary skills to thrive in an AI-enhanced global travel environment. Specifically, the document highlights the adoption of generative AI technologies as a means to boost productivity and operational efficiency within the tourism industry. To this end, TUI commits to offering broad-based educational initiatives for its employees, preparing them early on to leverage generative AI’s capabilities and integrate such technologies into their respective domains within the global tourism sector. The enthusiasm for such educational offerings is evident from the launch of two pioneering online learning modules on “Generative Artificial Intelligence,” which attracted nearly 7,000 participants from the global travel industry workforce in just three weeks.
“TUI will make extensive use of artificial intelligence in its own systems and in daily work processes. It is important to us that employees can keep pace with those technological innovations. At TUI, we are convinced that AI does not replace jobs, but rather certain tasks. That is why we are focusing on training our employees for higher-value tasks. We are embracing an important topic for the future and shaping it – openly and without fear,” says Sybille Reiss, Chief People Officer at TUI Group.
“We are utilising the potential of artificial intelligence for TUI – responsibly and with a focus on opportunities. That is why employees are at the centre of the Policy Paper: employment and working conditions at TUI will not deteriorate as a result of the introduction and use of AI. AI should contribute to a diverse, fair and non-discriminatory working environment. With regard to applicants and employees, the following applies at TUI: the final decision is made by a human being,” explains Frank Jakobi, Chairman of the Group Works Council of TUI AG.
The strategy further stipulates the active engagement and regular updates to employee representatives about the rollout of new AI solutions in the tourism industry, a practice already entrenched in TUI’s approach to various strategic matters within the global travel sector. Moving forward, a specialized AI oversight group, composed of equal numbers of company and staff representatives from the tourism industry, will oversee technological advancements and their ethical ramifications within the global travel landscape. This body will also focus on safeguarding employee wellbeing, especially concerning potential mental strain in the tourism sector.
In matters of human resources within the global tourism industry, TUI adheres to a fundamental principle: human beings retain ultimate authority over decision-making. This principle is applicable across all employee-related processes in the tourism sector, from hiring and recruitment to personal development, training opportunities, career advancement, and salary progression within the global travel industry. AI is employed as an assistive mechanism, with the responsibility for final decisions resting squarely on human shoulders in the tourism industry. Both employees and job seekers in the global travel sector are duly informed about their interactions with AI systems within TUI, a leader in global tourism.
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Saturday, April 27, 2024
