As discussions around artificial intelligence gather pace across industries, anxiety around job security and career stability is becoming increasingly visible. Jyoti Mayal, CEO, Red Hat Communications; Chairperson, Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council & Former President, Travel Agents Association of India, believes this moment calls for clarity rather than alarm.
With the ongoing AI Summit in Delhi drawing national and global attention to responsible technology adoption, she notes that the broader conversation is not about replacement, but about preparedness and direction. The dialogue around AI aligns with the Prime Minister’s broader vision of digital empowerment, innovation, and global competitiveness.
According to Jyoti Mayal, the fear narrative is misplaced. “We are reacting to AI as if it is an external force,” she said. “It is not. It is built by us, trained by us, and governed by us. Every major technological shift has created discomfort in its early stages. The same was true when digital systems entered travel, when online platforms emerged, and when automation entered hospitality operations. The element that followed was not mass irrelevance, but reinvention instead.”
She points to tourism as a practical example. AI today supports demand forecasting, on-the-go bespoke pricing, travel planning, data analytics, and customer response systems. It reduces repetitive processes and improves operational precision. Yet it does not replace negotiation, trust-building, cultural understanding, or crisis management. “A machine cannot read a room. It cannot calm a nervous traveller, negotiate a sensitive partnership, or interpret the emotional context of a destination. Those are human competencies,” she added.
Tourism, she reminded, is not about machines talking to machines—it is about people connecting with people. “Houses and walls came from community living, but it is the people who breathe life into them. Destinations are not just coordinates on a map; they are stories, emotions, and shared experiences. AI can support logistics, but it cannot replace the warmth of human connection,” she said.
Jyoti Mayal emphasised that the real risk is not AI itself, but the reluctance to upskill. “The professionals who will feel threatened are those who refuse to grow as well as change with time. The ones who learn how to work alongside technology will move ahead,” she emphasised.
She concluded by urging industries and institutions to focus on structured skilling, ethical deployment, and human oversight. “AI will enhance capability. It is not meant to erase identity. The human element will remain central and that’s not because we insist on it but rather because no system can replicate judgment, empathy, or responsibility.”
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