In the rapidly evolving world of air travel, artificial intelligence is being applied to deliver innovation across the entire experience. Today, most of the seamless operations we take for granted as we move through airports, from security screening to baggage handling, are enabled by technology, including AI. But we’ve only just scratched the surface of how AI will continue to transform air travel and the airport experience.
At the recent 2024 SXSW Conference and Festival in March 2024, Bernadette Berger, director of innovation at Alaska Airlines, spoke on “The Sky is the Limit: How AI is Reimagining Airports” . She shared how AI-enabled technology is optimizing operations and transforming the passenger experience. As AI technologies such as facial recognition, predictive analytics, personalized digital assistants, and real-time navigation are further implemented across the travel experience, airports will transform into fully accessible and immersive travel, retail, and entertainment hubs. .
The panel “The Sky’s the Limit: How AI will Reimagine Airports” focused on AI in airports. The panel also included aviation industry experts such as Celley Buchanan (Alaska Airlines), Matt Gilkeson (Transportation Security Administration), and Ian Law (Los Angeles World Airports).
In a follow-up interview on Cognilytica's AI Today podcast, Bernadette expanded on her talk and shared additional insights about this article.
Q: How do you see your role in expanding the use of AI in air transport?
Bernadette Berger: “I'm the director of innovation at Alaska Airlines. I actually got my professional start in the aviation industry. I'm an industrial designer by training, which means physical, digital, and spatial I am a huge airplane geek.
At Alaska, my team and I have been building the company's innovation practice. We are committed to combining new technology with human needs for our employees and customers. We rapidly prototype in our innovation labs, develop technology demonstrators, experience demonstrators, and proofs of concept, test these experiences at airports, and ultimately deploy them in our operations. That way, when you unveil new technology, you can not only do it quickly, but do it in a way that creates a great experience for your employees and guests. ”
Q: How do you think AI will change the passenger experience?
Bernadette Berger: There are two types of travelers. There are people who skate into the airport at the last moment. They don't want to check baggage, they don't want to hang out at the airport, they just want to move on to their next mode of transportation as quickly as possible without stopping. Additionally, some passengers like to arrive at the airport hours in advance. They want to hang out in the lounge. They want to buy books and buy coffee. We need something we can do at the airport. The first thing we talked about during the panel discussion was how we are creating spaces and proposing ways to support both types of travelers.
People may not know that AI is already very prevalent at airports. As a passenger, you may not really feel it. This is because we are now entering an era of efficiency. Airports, airlines, and security agencies are looking for ways to use AI to do what they currently do more efficiently. Layering computer vision algorithms on top of every security camera, using AI to reduce the number of lanes and machines that need to be used for security, and creating tools that employees can use for security. You can also. Helping guests get the customer service they need faster are all examples of how AI is being used in travel today. All of these examples still exist a lot in the field of efficiency, and I'm very interested in not only understanding the data we have, but also seeing where we evolve and go next. there is. ”
Q: What are the challenges of implementing AI in the transportation industry?
Bernadette Berger: Transportation is a very complex ecosystem. In other words, the airport itself is a city. Each airport is managed and managed differently. As an airline, we operate out of 113 different airports and have thousands of employees working at those airports. The difference between these operations is huge.
So starting a conversation about how to develop an AI solution to a complex bag problem, for example, is not as easy as you might think. However, this is a great application for AI because we have a lot of data about baggage and can be more proactive and predictive about how we move thousands of checked bags each day.
So what we're doing to solve this big and vexing challenge in innovation practice is to break down the gap between human challenges and technology into the smallest and fastest provable tests. The entire program could then contain proofs for eight different components. First you need to collect data. Next, you need an approach specific to this need. They then need to communicate those results interactively to very busy airport staff. And you need to communicate that to your guests. Therefore, we need a solution that is actually easy to operate.
In my innovation group, we break all of this down. We run very fast tests in our innovation lab, build things out of cardboard and wood, install kit cameras, and train and refine our algorithms there. We then move them to the airport and test them in a real airport environment with real passengers and real customer service representatives. From these small, fast repetitions we learn so much, and we learn quickly. This approach allows you to move forward from a program that wastes a whole team's efforts over the course of a year, only to find out it wasn't the right approach.
Once these small tests are proven, it's time to put them into production. And because we've decomposed this problem into eight subcomponents, we can say that these are different modular ways that this AI model can flexibly respond to this situation, depending on how baggage is handled at this airport. It is. All these steps build together. It can be very difficult for teams to find ways to apply especially such a broad technology topic to an assignment. But we think of it as a human need, a gap in technology, and how we can find small wins along the way.
Q: How do you think AI will impact passenger and customer experience?
Bernadette Berger: This is really an efficiency game, right? Therefore, all you feel as a passenger is that your checked baggage has arrived at its destination. As a passenger, you feel safe and secure. As you move through the airport and through the skies, your interactions with gate agents can feel very warm and personal. They knew they would have to reassign seats for you to sit with my family. They also knew that they would want to have coffee and a cookie or chocolate bar when they board the plane.
It may just feel like a good experience, but there's a lot going on behind the scenes to make it happen. Biometrics is one of the things that I think will be a huge change for passengers, but at the same time we will continue to help our customers navigate their travel day more easily. If you're traveling in a group and have four different passports, you're juggling trying to manage all the different ways to prove who you are and fumbling with your phone to issue a boarding pass. Have you ever been there and you're supposed to be there and you're supposed to be on this plane?
We have a model that allows you to walk through the airport and board a plane with just your face or just your phone, whether it's mobile digital identity or comparing your beautiful face to images provided by government agencies. I'm excited about the move. They already know you from your driver's license and passport. Just by comparing the photos, it will be much easier for the customer to prepare for his day trip and move around the airport. Guests will experience faster lines, fewer lines, and less hassle. No one wants to wait in line. Hurry and wait games are no fun.
But as we look ahead and think ahead and anticipate for our guests, we are also thinking about how we can gradually ease the morning rush and eliminate queues at the airport. Masu. Because I sent you a real-time offer. “We know it's already 9am and you're rushing to catch your flight.” If you want to pre-order your favorite coffee drink, it's just a tap away. Please use the counter located near the gate. All you have to do is walk past and grab it. Simply making these offers and recommendations at the right time during an interaction that the guest doesn't need to read, understand, or make a decision can go a long way. By the time you get to the airport, you're suffering from decision fatigue. All you need is something simple. Everyone wants to feel escorted from home to the plane. And any way we can use our algorithms, recommendations, and technology to do that will not only make travel easier for everyone, but more accessible to more people.
(Disclosure: I am a co-host of the AI Today podcast)