A new AI experiment at Edinburgh Airport is making parking prices a lottery. The cost of parking can change by chance as the airport conducts an artificial intelligence trial. In a strange turn of events, travelers seem to be quoted different prices for the same places.

How it works: If you book your parking online at Edinburgh Airport, sometimes the price you see is set by a human, but sometimes it’s set by this AI system they’re testing. The airport has admitted that this randomness is part of their experiment to see the effect on pricing of AI.

SPAA-which speaks for the travel industry-is gravely concerned. The association says such experiments need to be done in a controlled environment and not on real passengers who just want to park their cars. They argue that travelers deserve clear and fair pricing, especially when they’re planning their trips.

It came into the open when a traveler noticed that there was a big discrepancy in parking quotes. His wife was being quoted more for the same period of parking. While he was quoted £69.99 for valet parking between September 1 and September 3, his wife’s quote was for £75.99 for the same dates. This meant that while he was being charged at £23.33 per day, his wife was being charged at £25.33 per day.

Initially, he was thinking of differences that they might have because he was using an Android phone and his wife had an iPhone. But the airport maintained that it wasn’t the price difference because of the type of phone or browser they were using; it was due to the AI trial.

In fact, he said, “I saw that my Android device was always showing a lower price, and my wife’s iPhone showed a higher price. That pattern suggests that this isn’t just some random result but to do with the AI model.”

A check by The Scotsman revealed prices for different car parks at the airport ranged quite a bit. For example, parking at the mid stay car park from 6am on Saturday to 9pm on Monday ran from £39.99 to £47.99. Prices from September 21 to October 5 for a two-week stay in the long stay car park ranged from £66.99 to £84.99.

SPAA added: “AI is a useful tool in the travel industry but needs to be tested in such a way which doesn’t affect real customers. When it comes to any form of travel, people expect consistency in pricing. That shouldn’t come with any new tech trials being at their expenses.”.

Graham Simpson, Scottish Conservative transport spokesperson also expressed concern. He said: “Even though this is only a trial, it’s worrying to think that different people will be paying different prices for the same parking. It is important the airport ensures that everyone pays a fair price.

Basically, the test on artificial intelligence at Edinburgh Airport has made car parking somewhat like a lottery. It is supposed to be an experiment looking into the impact of AI on pricing; instead, it only confused and annoyed travelers. Most of them think it needed to have been done in some sort of isolation so as not to affect passengers at all.

While technology is always moving forward, it is important that airports and other providers remember to balance innovation with equity. Travelers need to be able to rely upon clarity and consistency in pricing when they book services, and any trials or experiments should be very carefully managed so that they do not create unexpected problems.

Meanwhile, passengers using Edinburgh Airport will have to put up with this new pricing regime, hoping that it may improve in the future rather than create further confusion and frustration. This reminds us how exciting artificial intelligence can be, but not to let it disrupt the fairness and transparency that every voyager expects.