Hilton is betting on people in an industry that can’t afford to lose them

AI anxiety has reached new heights recently, with tech CEOs warning of safety risks and job losses.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei told Axios that the technology could make up to half of all entry-level white-collar jobs redundant and cause a 10% to 20% spike in unemployment over the next five years.

These concerns are filtering through to the workforce.

Seven in 10 (69%) of U.K. workers jointly surveyed by King’s College London’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Policy Institute said they were worried about the economic impact of AI on job losses.

Global hospitality business Hilton is acutely aware of these concerns.

The company has been gradually increasing its use of AI across back-office and customer-facing roles and has introduced an AI chatbot on its website to help customers plan their trips.

But it insists the technology is there to enhance—not replace—the human interactions that make a hotel stay memorable.

“Nothing is a substitute for the human touch, and our team members appreciate that,” says Steve Ryan, senior vice president of HR for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Hilton, adding that the company wants to remain “people-led and people-focused.” He hopes this commitment will help reduce employee anxieties around AI.

“We talk openly about using technology to enable even more focus on the guest experience, so I think that helps to allay fears.

Most people that work in hospitality want to support guests and create great experiences for them.

The more we can use technology to help with that, the better.” Steve Ryan, senior vice president of HR for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Hilton.

Courtesy of Hilton Hilton’s people-centric culture has helped it take the No.

1 position on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For—Europe 2026 list, which is based on anonymous employee survey data and reviews of organizations’ employee benefits programs.

The hotel group rose above logistics company DHL , which held the top spot last year.