Is my job still here tomorrow?

Sacha Koolen & Frank Lindner   Sander van der Meij

The more routine your job is, the easier it is for a robot to replace you. The Oxford Martin School researched this and concluded that in 47% of all jobs, humans can be replaced by robots. Which jobs in the hospitality sector are most at risk?

Future
hospitality
staff

‘Chance of automation’ is the probability that a job will be taken over by robots in the future, expressed as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the higher the probability that the job will be about by robots in the future. These percentages were calculated by researchers at the Oxford Martin School.


Jobs characterized by high levels of repetition, low levels of decision-making responsibilities, and that are bound to a single location and/or department, are much more likely to be taken over by robots. Work that is different every day or even every hour, requiring frequent decisions, and situated at a variety of locations, is much less suitable for robots. The risk of being replaced by robots is 0.4% for Lodging Managers, 0.6% for Recreation Workers, and 1.4% for Sales & Marketing Managers.    

CHANCE OF AUTOMATION: 69
Artist Lawrence Lek created ‘Notel’, two fictional hotels in London in the UK, and in The Hague in the Netherlands. Using virtual reality, Lek presents hotels which are fully automated. Visualizations using CGI (computer generated images) are an integral part of the projections. In this hyper-luxury hotel of the future, household chores are no longer performed by humans. 

Maids 
& housekeeping

CHANCE OF AUTOMATION: 77%
Dishwashers of the future will no longer have to get dirty and wet. All that will be left to do is move trolleys around. And robots will also be able to do that in the future. The American start-up Dishcraft is currently at an advanced stage of developing a fully automatic dishwashing installation driven by sensors and robots. 

Dishwashers

CHANCE OF AUTOMATION: 77%
Are bartenders also doomed? Toni the robotic Makr Shakr can make 120 drinks an hour. This robotic arm uses a selection of 60 spirits to produce an infinite number of combinations. In the Dutch city of Groningen the Mr. Mofongo cocktail bar uses the Armando robotic arm. The Belgium enterprise Foodpairing created a startup to develop a cocktail machine that can produce up to 3500 different types of cocktails for guests, based on their personal preferences.    

CHANCE OF AUTOMATION:
Restaurant cooks 96%, fastfood cooks 81%, private chefs 30%, chefs & head cooks 10%

British robo-chef Moley can cook from recipes, the American Flippy knows how to deep-fry and grill, and Sally is able to prepare over a thousand different salads. And let’s not forget the 3D food printer. These technological innovations are a way of countering the shortage of kitchen personnel. But being able to respond to unexpected circumstances, making personalized dishes, getting inspired, and tasting recipes are all skills that chefs are still not going to be replaced for the time being

BARTENDERS
Chefs & Cooks
HOSTS

CHANCE OF AUTOMATION: 96%
On entering the Henn Na Hotel in Tokyo, the lobby looks just like any other hotel lobby. Except that you’re greeted at the front desk by lifelike robots, complete with blinking eyes, called Churi. At CitizenM in Amsterdam – and at many other hotels around the globe – it’s now standard to check in by accessing your online booking at a self-service check-in kiosk. The tasks of the receptionist are replaceable, as long as you can do without the personal touch and the warm welcome. That’s because one of the most important factors in the hospitality sector is still personal contact. 

Receptionists

CHANCE OF AUTOMATION: 97%
In terms of robotization, Japan is more advanced than other countries. Due to its drastically aging population, there is a shortage of staff. One solution is Pepper, a robot that recognizes faces and emotions and welcomes and serves guests. Then there’s the Fly Zoo Future Hotel in Tokyo, equipped with Tmall Genies. The genie adjusts the temperature in the room, plays music for you, opens and closes your curtains, tells you the wifi password… you name it. Also, the robot serves as a 24/7 butler or host.

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Editorial

  4 min

Editorial

‘Chance of automation’ is the probability that a job will be taken over by robots in the future, expressed as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the higher the probability that the job will be about by robots in the future. These percentages were calculated by researchers at the Oxford Martin School.


Jobs characterized by high levels of repetition, low levels of decision-making responsibilities, and that are bound to a single location and/or department, are much more likely to be taken over by robots. Work that is different every day or even every hour, requiring frequent decisions, and situated at a variety of locations, is much less suitable for robots. The risk of being replaced by robots is 0.4% for Lodging Managers, 0.6% for Recreation Workers, and 1.4% for Sales & Marketing Managers.    

CHANCE OF AUTOMATION: 69
Artist Lawrence Lek created ‘Notel’, two fictional hotels in London in the UK, and in The Hague in the Netherlands. Using virtual reality, Lek presents hotels which are fully automated. Visualizations using CGI (computer generated images) are an integral part of the projections. In this hyper-luxury hotel of the future, household chores are no longer performed by humans. 

Maids 
& housekeeping

CHANCE OF AUTOMATION: 77%
Dishwashers of the future will no longer have to get dirty and wet. All that will be left to do is move trolleys around. And robots will also be able to do that in the future. The American start-up Dishcraft is currently at an advanced stage of developing a fully automatic dishwashing installation driven by sensors and robots. 

Dishwashers

CHANCE OF AUTOMATION:
Restaurant cooks 96%, fastfood cooks 81%, private chefs 30%, chefs & head cooks 10%
British robo-chef Moley can cook from recipes, the American Flippy knows how to deep-fry and grill, and Sally is able to prepare over a thousand different salads. And let’s not forget the 3D food printer. These technological innovations are a way of countering the shortage of kitchen personnel. But being able to respond to unexpected circumstances, making personalized dishes, getting inspired, and tasting recipes are all skills that mean chefs are still not going to be replaced for the time being

Chefs & Cooks
BARTENDERS

CHANCE OF 
AUTOMATION: 77%
Are bartenders also doomed? Toni the robotic Makr Shakr can make 120 drinks an hour. This robotic arm uses a selection of 60 spirits to produce an infinite number of combinations. In the Dutch city of Groningen the Mr. Mofongo cocktail bar uses the Armando robotic arm. The Belgium enterprise Foodpairing created a startup to develop a cocktail machine that can produce up to 3500 different types of cocktails for guests, based on their personal preferences.    

CHANCE OF 
AUTOMATION: 96%
On entering the Henn Na Hotel in Tokyo, the lobby looks just like any other hotel lobby. Except that you’re greeted at the front desk by lifelike robots, complete with blinking eyes, called Churi. At CitizenM in Amsterdam – and at many other hotels around the globe – it’s now standard to check in by accessing your online booking at a self-service check-in kiosk. The tasks of the receptionist are replaceable, as long as you can do without the personal touch and the warm welcome. That’s because one of the most important factors in the hospitality sector is still personal contacts. 

Receptionists
HOSTS

CHANCE OF AUTOMATION: 97%
In terms of robotization, Japan is more advanced than other countries. Due to its drastically aging population, there is a shortage of staff. One solution is Pepper, a robot that recognizes faces and emotions and welcomes and serves guests. Then there’s the Fly Zoo Future Hotel in Tokyo, equipped with Tmall Genies. The genie adjusts the temperature in the room, plays music for you, opens and closes your curtains, tells you the wifi password… you name it. Also, the robot serves as a 24/7 butler or host.

Sacha Koolen & Frank Lindner  
 Sander van der Meij

The more routine your job is, the easier it is for a robot to replace you. The Oxford Martin School researched this and concluded that in 47% of all jobs, humans can be replaced by robots. Which jobs in the hospitality sector are most at risk?

Future
hospitality
staff

  4 min

Overview magazines

Food Inspiration Magazine is the online magazine for foodservice professionals in search of inspiration and innovation. With the magazine we collect, enrich and spread inspiration. The free subscription magazine is published eight times per year and is an abundant source of inspiration for food and hospitality professionals. Our readers can be found in the U.S., Northern Europe, Latin America and Asia.
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