As we edge closer to 2026, one question keeps surfacing in hospitality circles: where is our industry headed?
For me, the answer begins—but does not end—with technology as an enabler.
There is little doubt that Agentic AI will be at the forefront of the conversation over the next 12 months. Its adoption curve will continue to rise steadily as the year progresses, and we’ll see no shortage of predictions—some thoughtful, some wildly optimistic—about where it’s going and the benefits it promises to deliver, not just for hospitality, but across nearly every industry.
Agentic AI will undoubtedly help us automate decisions, orchestrate systems, surface insights, and remove friction from operations. That part is inevitable. What is far less certain—and far more important—is how we choose to deploy it.
Because while technology will dominate headlines, I firmly believe that people must take center stage.
Not just people who can “operate” systems, but people who can truly serve. People who can listen. People who can communicate effectively, empathetically, and confidently with others. Hospitality has always been about human connection, and no algorithm—no matter how advanced—can replicate that moment when a guest feels genuinely seen, understood, and cared for.
And yet, as an industry, we’ve increasingly leaned into technology with a different goal in mind: operationalizing as much as possible while saving as much money as possible. Automation often enters the conversation not as an enabler of better service, but as a replacement for it.
That’s where the risk lies.
I was reminded of this recently when a friend shared a post about an airline loyalty program. He had been a top-tier member – Diamond Plus – for ten consecutive years. This year, he missed the mileage threshold. The result? Immediate downgrade. No conversation. No context. No recognition of a decade of loyalty. Just an algorithmic decision that essentially said, you no longer meet the criteria, therefore you no longer matter in the same way.
You can’t help but wonder: when did loyalty become so transactional?
And more importantly, when did we decide that the human story offered less value than the data point?
This is not an airline problem alone. It’s a cautionary tale for hospitality.
When algorithms and automation take over to the point where human judgment is removed entirely, the very essence of service begins to erode. We may gain efficiency, but we lose trust. We may save money, but we sacrifice long-term loyalty.
We see the same pattern elsewhere. Holiday shopping today is a perfect example. It’s stressful enough—but it becomes downright frustrating when there’s no way to speak to a real person. And if you do manage to reach one, they often sound as though they’d rather not be speaking to you at all. Technology has created distance, not delight.
My hope – perhaps my optimism – is that 2026 becomes a turning point.
I hope we begin to see humans move back to the forefront, not as a cost center, but as a strategic advantage. I hope technology becomes what it was always meant to be: an enabler of better service, not a substitute for it. Agentic AI should empower employees to do what they do best, not remove them from the equation entirely.
2026 is just around the corner—and it’s going to get interesting. The question is whether we allow technology to redefine hospitality, or whether we use it to protect and elevate what hospitality has always been about: people serving people, exceptionally well.
About Infor
Infor is a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry. We develop complete solutions for our focus industries. Infor’s mission-critical enterprise applications and services are designed to deliver sustainable operational advantages with security and faster time to value. Over 60,000 organizations in more than 175 countries rely on Infor’s 17,000 employees to help achieve their business goals. As a Koch company, our financial strength, ownership structure, and long-term view empower us to foster enduring, mutually beneficial relationships with our customers. Visit www.infor.com.
Alan Young
VP, Hospitality Strategy, Infor
Infor
