Artificial intelligence: the hospitality industry is digitalising, but not yet making full use of it

The hospitality industry has been in the midst of a digital revolution for years. Reservation systems, till software, inventory management, and payment solutions: data is everywhere. Yet one problem stubbornly persists. Because although entrepreneurs have more and more figures at their disposal, finding the right insights often remains time-consuming and complex.

There seems to be a change in that now. With artificial intelligence (AI), it's less about collecting data and more about understanding, interpreting, and converting it into concrete actions.

There's enough data, but what do you do with it?

Research by Lightspeed among 200 hospitality businesses in Belgium shows that technology is now firmly established in the sector. For example, 39 per cent use wireless payment terminals, 46 per cent use smartphones to take orders, 46 per cent work with reservation apps, 58 per cent with QR menus, and 42 per cent with kitchen screens. Business intelligence tools and analytics dashboards are also on the rise, with 26 per cent of hospitality businesses using them.

In the meantime, more than a quarter (26 percent) of hospitality entrepreneurs say they are using AI tools for their work. This shows that AI is gaining ground rapidly, but at the same time is still in a relatively early stage.

The missing link: from data to insight

The challenge for entrepreneurs lies not in collecting data, but in translating it into concrete actions. Many hospitality entrepreneurs recognise this: there are plenty of reports and dashboards, but it takes time to establish the right connections.

AI plays a role precisely at that point. Where reports primarily show historical data, AI helps to identify patterns more quickly, answer questions and make recommendations. Not as a replacement for the entrepreneur, therefore, but as a digital assistant that helps with processing information and making sharper choices in terms of offering and planning.

Many possibilities, little applied

In practice, we see that hospitality entrepreneurs are increasingly using AI for all sorts of tasks: think of writing marketing copy, analysing margins, or optimising menus. Staff scheduling and stock management can also benefit from better forecasts. Yet, there often remains a gap between potential and usage. AI tools are often disconnected from existing systems, meaning entrepreneurs still have to switch between different platforms. And that is a significant bottleneck in a sector where speed is crucial.

The next step: AI that runs along

This is why development is now shifting towards integrated AI solutions. Instead of standalone tools, AI is increasingly being built directly into existing systems, such as the checkout platform. A recent development is Lightspeed AI, an AI layer within the checkout system that allows hospitality business owners to ask questions about their own data in plain language. Instead of sifting through reports, they can directly get answers to questions such as: ‘which dishes generated the most profit this month’, or ‘why was turnover lower yesterday?’.

So the difference is mainly in speed and accessibility. By directly converting data into understandable insights, it becomes easier to make adjustments even during a shift, rather than analysing afterwards.

What does this mean for entrepreneurs?

AI is changing the way entrepreneurs handle data. Not by providing more figures, but by making the right insights immediately available. This also demands a different way of working. Entrepreneurs who successfully use AI don't use it as a replacement, but as an extension of their own expertise. The expectation is that AI will further develop from a tool to a system that offers suggestions for running their business and discovering new opportunities. For hospitality entrepreneurs, this means one thing: those who learn to work with various AI tools now are laying the foundation for working smarter with data. Because the data was already there. Only now is insight finally within reach.