Hospitality Management Professor Linchi Kwok weighs in on a landmark Chinese court ruling that replacing employees with AI solely to reduce labor costs constitutes unlawful termination. Kwok says AI is most effective when used to enhance employee productivity and guest experiences, allowing workers to focus on relationship-building, problem-solving and service quality rather than routine tasks. “Hospitality leaders should not measure AI success by the number of positions eliminated, but by how much value it creates for employees, guests, and organizations,” he adds.

This article was originally published by Hospitality Net on June 18, 2026.