For readers joining the series at Part Two, Part One explored how these technologies are already being deployed across hospitality, where they are delivering meaningful value, where they continue to fall short, and how leaders are thinking about the balance between innovation and the human essence of service. That foundation is important, and I would encourage readers to begin there before continuing here.
This series draws on the perspectives of Rich Hull, CEO of Miso Robotics; Jennifer Porter, President of Commonwealth Hotels; Fernando Freire, President of FREI Hospitality Group; Nick Knight, Director of Hospitality Solutions North America at Duetto; Susan Graves, CEO of Experience Alive; and Sloan Dean, Host of the NOT DONE podcast, Chairperson of Frontline Performance Group, and Ponte Executive Advisor. Collectively, they represent a cross-section of leadership spanning hospitality operations, staffing, revenue strategy, robotics, and hotel technology.
In Part Two, the discussion turns from present application to future consequences. What does wider adoption mean for the workforce? What are people getting right and wrong about job displacement? What is the industry still underestimating? How should hospitality professionals prepare? And if this acceleration continues, what might hospitality look like by 2030?
What follows are the remaining questions posed to each contributor, presented once again in direct form so readers can hear each perspective in the contributor’s own voice.
Question 5 - There is concern that technology could replace jobs in hospitality. What are people getting right and wrong about that concern?
Rich Hull
What people are getting right is that the concern deserves to be taken seriously. Any technology that changes how work gets done will change what kinds of work are needed. Dismissing that is a mistake.
What people are getting wrong is the baseline they are measuring from. The labor shortage in hospitality is now a structural problem. According to reports from the National Restaurant Association in December 2025, 70% of restaurant operators report having job openings that are tough to fill, and 45% say they do not have enough employees to meet existing customer demand. TD Bank research found that 54% of operators cite a shrinking labor pool as their single biggest concern for the year ahead. The fry station is the hardest position in the kitchen to fill precisely because no one wants to do it. The data shows that automation is only eliminating the jobs that the workforce is already actively leaving.
The more honest conversation is about what kinds of jobs we want to create in this industry. When automation handles the worst of the work, operators can redeploy their teams toward higher-value, customer-facing roles. That is a better outcome for everyone.
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