THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN TRAVEL Another massive use of artificial intelligence systems in tourism is represented by some widely used forms of AI in airports these days, such as facial recognition systems for airport security. Facial recognition is a biometric technology, that greatly increases the efficiency of passenger screening by automating the process of verifying photo identification at the airport. According to the New York Times12, airports are looking for additional ways to use biometric verification methods like facial recognition. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has also discovered that facial recognition is 99.5% accurate13. Soon, all airlines will require passengers to go through biometric verification before boarding planes. Then again, the relevance of biometric systems in tourism, and particularly at airports, as well as the need to establish certain legal rules for such systems, is also underscored by the European Committee on Transport and Tourism, that in 2022 has issued a draft opinion14 on these topics. In particular, the relevance of biometric systems is highlighted in Amendment 3 of the draft opinion cited, where is stated that the Proposal Regulation on Artificial Intelligence should accompany these developments by the highest and adequate level of protection, in particular when biometric data are used15. 12 This information is available at the link: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/travel/biometrics-airports- -security.html. 13 It is possible to find this data at the link: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2021/07/nist-evaluates- -face-recognition-softwares-accuracy-flight-boarding. 14 Draft opinion for the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down harmonized rules on artificial intelligence and amending certain union legislative acts (COM(2021)0206 – C9-0146/2021 – 2021/0106(COD)). 15 Amendment 3, Proposal for a regulation, Recital 8 a (new), text proposed by the Commission (8a): «the use of biometrics in transport and tourism will vastly benefit user experience and overall safety and security. The application of fingerprint or retina scans to access cars could help prevent theft, while in-car biometrics could help detect drivers’ stress levels and prevent intoxicated driving, directly contributing to the EU’s 2050 “VisionZero”. In the tourism sector, contactless check-ins, for example through facial recognition technology, will help attain a seamless travelling experience. This Regulation should accompany these developments by the highest/adequate level of protection, especially when use of biometrics data is involved, in line with the data protection framework of the Union, while fostering research and investment for the development and deployment of AI systems that can positively contribute to society». Similarly, Amendment 6, Proposal for a regulation, Recital 12 a (new), text proposed by the Commission (12a): «this regulation should support research and innovation for the application of AI systems in the transport and tourism sectors. For this reason, this Regulation should exclude from its scope applications of AI systems developed, applied, and assessed in a controlled testing environment, for the sole purpose of evaluating their use and functionality. As regards product-oriented research activity by providers, the provisions of this Regulation should apply insofar as such research leads to or entails placing an AI system on the market or putting it into service. All forms of research and development should be conducted in compliance with the highest ethical standards for scientific research».
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