Startup’s initiative protects guest data, helps police process details

An artificial intelligence (AI) solution based on blockchain technology to facilitate customer identity authentication at hotels has been developed by Zebi Data India, a startup headquartered in Visakhapatnam with an office in Hyderabad.

The Zebi AI Chain solution has already been deployed at 200 hotels in Visakhapatnam and the firm is preparing to take the solution to similar facilities across the country, founder and CEO Babu Munagala told presspersons here on Tuesday.

Hotels such as Novotel, The Park, Taj Gateway and Ginger in Visakhapatnam are using the AI solution to protect their guest data as well as to help law enforcement officials in proactive identification and prevention of criminal activities.

The startup had, earlier this year, unveiled a blockchain technology solution to secure high value and sensitive data such as land registry, employee records, education and other qualification certificates.

Under law, personal identification data of hotel guests has to be reported to the police department on a daily basis. The process typically is undertaken manually, as part of which paper-based documents are shared. This carried a huge privacy risk as sensitive data on the papers are vulnerable to misuse during transportation and storage. At the same time, the processing time ie also unnecessarily long and cumbersome, the company said.

With the AI solution, the data of hotel guests is stored in the blockchain and any access or updates to the same are part of the immutable records on the technology. The individual remains in full control of data as his/ her consent is taken before every use of their data.

Hotel guests, whose details are fed into the solution, get a Zebi ID using which they could check in within seconds.

They no longer have to leave printed photo copies of their ID cards or mobile number with the hotel, the company said. Vice-President (Sales and Marketing) Vinod Raghavan said the company, with the help of police, would also seek to authenticate data using Aadhaar cards in future.