Edinburgh Airport carrying out AI trial that should be conducted in 'controlled' conditions, experts claim

Edinburgh Airport is giving “worrying” parking prices to passengers after testing an artificial intelligence (AI) system that “should be conducted in controlled ‘lab’ conditions”, it has been reported.

The airport, which handles more than 12 million passengers a year, admitted to The Scotsman that passengers who are booking parking online are receiving different quotes as some are decided by an AI system.

It said it was testing an AI model that "randomly" choses people for higher or lower prices, which closely matched those set by staff.  

Reacting to the news, the Scottish Passenger Agents Association (SPAA) called for the trial not to be conducted “on the travelling public”.

It said: “The use of AI in travel is already a widely used tool for all types of businesses. The SPAA is always in favour of trialling new systems and technologies, including the use of AI, to enhance customer experiences and optimise services.

“However, we believe that such trials should be conducted in controlled, ‘lab’ conditions rather than on the travelling public.

“Travellers expect consistency, fairness, and transparency when it comes to pricing, especially when planning their journeys. We urge all parties involved to ensure that any new technology trials do not come at the expense of the best service and best value that customers rightly expect.”

Scottish Conservatives transport spokesperson Graham Simpson has described the situation as “worrying” and urged the airport to ensure its car parks treat customers “fairly and equally.”

The difference in price charges was first brought to light by a customer who revealed he had received a different price quote from his wife for the same service.

He was quoted £69.99 for FastPark valet parking between noon on September 1 and 10 pm on 3 September, while his wife was quoted £75.99.

An Edinburgh Airport spokesperson said: “Like many businesses, we have been trialling different online pricing strategies, including the use of AI.

“During testing. this means some car parking searches return prices set by our own team and some have pricing set by the AI trial, such as in this case. The findings of our testing will be used to evaluate the AI trial and decide whether this is something we decide to adopt.”