Knowlton noted that while many vendors are baking AI into their own systems, the real challenge lies in making those tools work together. “It’s not just about having AI—it’s about connecting the dots across platforms,” he said. “To do that, we need a unified data architecture that supports the whole ecosystem.”
His vision for Peregrine centers on building a strong foundation that makes data usable across systems—something he believes is still lacking in many organizations. “We’ve installed a lot of tools in the industry over the last 15 years,” he added. “But they’re fragmented, which makes jobs harder, not easier.”
Small Steps, Real Gains
Both Knowlton and Goshow urged a deliberate, stepwise approach to AI implementation. “There’s definitely a space in this industry for AI,” Knowlton said. “But it’s going to take a little time to get people to adopt it. We need to go slow, put it in the right areas, and make sure we have the right structure and guardrails around it.”
Goshow echoed that sentiment, noting that many companies are still figuring out how to tackle the opportunity—whether to start small, how to educate internal teams, and how to bring hesitant leadership along. “There’s anxiety around AI—especially from leaders who aren’t immersed in it day-to-day,” she said. “But this industry knows it needs to evolve. The question is how.”
Empowering People, Not Replacing Them
Both executives pushed back against the narrative that AI displaces people. Instead, they see it as a means to elevate the human side of hospitality.
“If we’re not dealing with mundane tasks anymore, we have more capacity for deeper thinking, better strategy—and arguably, more time for the guest,” Goshow said. “This business is about humans. AI gives us the opportunity to bring hospitality back into focus.”
Knowlton agreed, citing opportunities in revenue management and accounting. “Those functions are still so manual,” he said. “Let’s use AI to do the basics so people can focus on what matters. We want our GMs out on the floor—not consolidating financial reports.”
Vendor Accountability and Data Ethics
Another recurring theme in their discussion was the importance of understanding how AI tools handle data. Goshow noted a question she heard presenters repeatedly ask during sessions: Is your vendor using your data to train their models?
