Toshiba introduced its latest humanoid robot at the influential ITB travel trade show in Berlin.
But are people really ready to accept robots in every day life?
Ira Spitzer reports from Berlin.
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VO#1 She speaks 4 languages, looks eerily human, and can even carry a tune.
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VO#2 Toshiba's newest humanoid robot ChihiraKanae made her European debut welcoming vistors to Berlin's ITB travel trade show. Many think robots like her are the next big thing in the industry. Richard Singer is the president of Travel Zoo Europe.
SOT, Richard Singer, President, Travelzoo Europe
"If something can be done more consistently, with a model that doesn't tire, that's able to capture data more effectively, then what it allows is the human to really have the added value to the whole process."
VO#3 Eighty percent of respondents in a recent survey by Travelzoo said they expected robots to be a big part of their lives by the end of the decade. But can robots really replace human interaction? Melvin Boecher, the Founder and CEO of the website Traveldudes isn't so sure.
SOT, Melvin Boecher, Founder and CEO, Traveldudes
"If you go into a hotel, let's say, and you talk to the receptionist and you ask for a travel tip, you don't want to have a programmed answer which someone gave that robot. You want that personal experience of the receptionist to tell you yeah, actually the coffee around the corner is really good."
VO#4 Robots are already some lower-level service jobs in the hospitality industry, like room service but can't really do more than answer a few questions. But with artificial intelligence quickly advancing, it's not a stretch to imagine robots providing the same quantity and quality of information as say, google, in a few years. That could have a major impact on the travel industry, according to David Ruetz, the head of ITB Berlin.
SOT, David Ruetz, Head of ITB Berlin
"Studies from the World Economic Forum show that in the next few years, seven million jobs will go away. Two million jobs will be created by digitization and optimization, but nevertheless five million jobs will be obsolete through robots. So we'll see what the future brings."
VO#5: One of the biggest factors determining people's attitudes towards robots is where they're from. Chinese were the most positive in the Travelzoo study, with 92% saying they were comfortable with robots, while 63% of Germans were uncomfortable with the idea.
Ira Spitzer, Berlin
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