AI


degree of hype around generative AI. Gauld suggested: “Every five years we have the launch of something, there is a craze, and it takes a period for everyone to digest. The difference with AI is the technology has advanced so rapidly. All these models are only as good as the individuals who built them, and it’s a challenge for regulation to keep up. “Will we get to the point of a Skynet


[the fictional AI network in the film Terminator] running an organisation? Probably not. Will humans remain in the loop to support decision-making processes? Absolutely.”


HYPE CYCLE


Ratz agreed there is a “hype cycle”, saying: “Ten to 15 years ago, when cloud computing was in its early stages, we thought, ‘This is the next big thing.’ It was, but not for ever. Gen AI is still a hype, but in the next couple of years it will become a utility, the same as cloud computing. “All organisations are looking at AI,


trying to do the same things because everyone wants to improve the customer journey, to save on cost, and so on. But doing that is not going to make them a market leader because everyone is doing it. Maybe in five years there will be another thing everyone is doing. “When we talk about AI at Deloitte,


we typically talk about three archetypes: first, decision support; second, how humans and AI can collaborate; and third, intelligent automation which is not too dissimilar from robotics. I don’t think we’ll allow AI to take over processes and make decisions in the foreseeable future. I know it’s happening with driverless cars, but it’s a limited area because it has to be in a structured environment.” Gauld pointed out: “There are


hurdles we have to clear to get approval to embark on an AI project, and extra hoops we need to jump through when doing the work. There is an extra layer of safeguarding because there are no real benchmarks to test against. This goes back to the point about most


FIGURE 42: ATTITUDES TO AI AT WORK


Should employers have to consult employees before introducing AI? % of working UK adults


Don’t know 12%


Should not have to


19%


Should have to consult


69%


10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80


0 68% 69% 67% 69%


14% 18-24


18% 25-49 Should


20% 50-64 Should not Source: YouGov/TUC, April 2024 Base: 1,451 UK adults in work


21%


65+


THERE is majority support for employers to consult employees before deploying


AI (Figure 42). The technology appears yet to become a priority in corporate travel (Figure 43)


organisations not scaling, because scaling is the scary part. If you put AI use cases out there, how are they going to work? How are you going to control them? How are you going to deal with a problem?” AI implementations are also not


FIGURE 43: AI USE IN


CORPORATE TRAVEL Don’t


understand AI


Don’t know


9% 7% 26% 34%


Low/no priority


top priority AI not a Base: Travel buyers


Source: GBTA survey, November 2024


AI a top priority


Using AI already


14% 10%


cost-free. Ratz explained: “Using these technologies to optimise processes may increase the impact on sustainability when scaling for whole enterprises and many users.” The question organisations need to ask, she said, is: “Do they need something that provides basic functionalities or the most powerful model which is super-expensive and has a much greater impact on sustainability?” Gauld acknowledged: “Everyone


thinks AI reduces headcount. If done properly, it should increase productivity and efficiency, with the potential to deploy people to something else. So, it’s about retraining, and you need people to validate the output. Where people say, ‘I can LW ZLOO QHYHU ۑfODK UHGXFH KHDG FRXQW E\ be half. The headcount may be reduced by 10%-15% and people be redeployed. “Some uses will drive a reduction


in headcount, but some may increase headcount because the insights AI gives mean you do more in certain areas.”


Travel Weekly Insight Report 2025 25


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