Why Hospitality AI Must Feel Human Without Pretending to Be

By Michelle Collins, Chief Operating Officer, CodeBaby

Last June, I had an event at Caesars Palace. I waited more than half an hour in line to check in. There were signs pointing to kiosk-based check-in, but no information about what you could or couldn’t do there. Could it handle a reservation with a special request? What if something was slightly off with my booking? I had no idea, and leaving a long line for an unknown felt like a gamble I wasn’t willing to take.

It turned out there was a small issue with my check-in that might have required a human anyway. I’ll never know for sure because the kiosks never told me what they were capable of.

Here’s the thing: I’m not criticizing Caesars for having the kiosks. Good for them. The technology existed, it was available, and presumably it worked for some guests. But there was an obvious gap between having the technology and making it useful. No one had thought through the moment from the guest’s perspective. What do I need to know to trust this thing? What’s my risk if I walk over there and it can’t help me?

That gap is what I keep thinking about when I see conversations about AI in hospitality.

The industry is investing heavily in digital humans, AI concierges, and automated guest services. A lot of the discussion focuses on making these systems seem more human—better voices, more realistic avatars, warmer language. But I think we’re optimizing for the wrong thing. The question isn’t whether AI can convincingly mimic a friendly concierge. The question is whether anyone has thought through what guests actually need in the moment, and whether the technology has been designed to meet them there.

Feeling Human Is Not the Same as Pretending to Be Human

Hospitality has always been about how you make people feel. Long before mobile apps and AI-powered anything, great hospitality came from attentiveness, clarity, and care. Guests remember whether they felt welcomed and supported. They rarely remember how advanced the technology was behind the scenes.

That’s why so many hospitality leaders get nervous about AI. Their entire business depends on human connection. Introducing technology that could undermine that connection is a legitimate concern. And honestly, they’re often right to worry. A lot of hospitality AI undermines connection, not because AI is inherently bad at this, but because it’s designed without thinking through what guests actually need.

Here’s the distinction that keeps getting lost: technology can feel human without pretending to be human. When we blur that line, trust erodes quickly.

Guests don’t want systems that mislead them into believing they’re speaking with a real concierge. They don’t want artificial warmth that feels performative. They definitely don’t want experiences that feel deceptive, even unintentionally. Hospitality depends on trust. Once a brand breaks that trust, rebuilding it becomes difficult.

Feeling human means responding thoughtfully, paying attention to context, and respecting boundaries. It means understanding intent, offering clear guidance, and recognizing when a situation calls for a real person. It also means being transparent about limitations. If a kiosk can’t handle a booking with a special request, it should say so clearly before someone abandons their place in line.

When AI pretends to be human, it introduces an illusion where transparency should exist. That illusion almost always backfires.

So what do guests actually want?

Most guests don’t expect AI to replace staff. They want help without friction. They want fast answers to common questions, easy access to information, and support when human employees are busy or unavailable. They want to know what the technology can do for them and when they should talk to a person instead.

When AI handles these moments well, it strengthens hospitality rather than detracting from it. Digital humans can absorb the repetitive, high-volume questions and routine guidance so human employees can focus on moments that require empathy, judgment, and creativity. Instead of losing human connection, you create more space for it.

This is the approach we’re building toward at CodeBaby. We think of our avatars as extensions of the hospitality team, not replacements for it. They reflect the same values the team brings to every guest interaction: respect, clarity, and accountability. And critically, they know their limits and communicate them. They recognize when a situation requires a human touch and facilitate that handoff rather than pretending they can handle everything.

That boundary matters more than most people realize. Effective hospitality AI supports the team instead of competing with it. It identifies moments that require a human and escalates appropriately.

Ethics Are Foundational, Not Optional

The ethical dimension here isn’t optional. Hospitality brands succeed or fail based on reputation, and a single uncomfortable or misleading interaction can travel far. Digital humans should never mislead guests, cross emotional boundaries, or replace human care in moments that demand it.

AI will continue to play a larger role in hospitality. That’s not a question anymore. But the future won’t be defined by whoever builds the most realistic avatar or the most advanced technology. It’ll be defined by how thoughtfully we use these tools.

The Future of Hospitality Is Still Human

Guests don’t want machines that pretend to be people. They want technology that helps people become better hosts, and that starts with understanding what guests actually need in the moment.

That’s the balance worth building toward.