Massage robots driven by artificial intelligence are coming to market, while chatbots are becoming ever more powerful.
AI could transform our industry if we learn to embrace innovation
Massage Robotics has already launched an AI-powered device / photo: Massage Robotics
You’re lying on a massage table but there isn’t a therapist in the room. Instead, you’re scanned by a machine that detects muscle and joint issues and uses energy field imaging to locate ‘blockages’. Then an AI massage robot (that you can interact with in real-time) gets to work, taking these parameters into account.
This may sound like sci-fi, but companies such as Massage Robotics, Aescape and Capsix Robotics are engaged in bringing such products to market.
These early AI massage robots can adjust pressure and technique, but are not yet a match for a skilled therapist, however, by their very nature AI devices have the capacity to learn rapidly and our reporters who’ve tried them say sessions are surprisingly pleasant.
The industry has struggled for years with staff shortages and hasn’t done enough to invest in employee salaries, training or development, so we expect some operators to welcome AI robots that can deliver services reliably and be classed as a capital asset rather than a cost centre.
The risk for the sector, however, is that their arrival will negatively alter consumers’ views of the services we offer, meaning AI robots will need to be deployed with care.
They could prevent staff burnout if used by therapists to assist with treatments and we foresee a time when robots and humans work side by side.
But if we don’t integrate them carefully they could cause harm, so a tactical, industry-wide approach, backed up by effective training governed by leading industry bodies is needed.
Also coming down the AI track are new, highly sophisticated chatbots by Google, Microsoft and OpenAI which act as hyper-personalised internet assistants, guiding purchasing decisions.
In his debut as Spa Business’ contributing editor on page 18, Jeremy McCarthy focuses on chatbots, predicting the tech behind them will change the world on a scale akin to the internet.
People who work in spas are typically focused on hands-on healing, shying away from tech, however, we have a real opportunity to become a leading sector in the use of AI if we tackle it fearlessly and ensure our teams are trained in its use.
Although AI in its many guises still feels a way off, now is the time to prepare to embrace innovation.
Katie Barnes is the editor of Spa Business magazine
| [email protected]
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Write to reply: Letters
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Research: Wellness Travel Consumer Survey
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First person: Doctor’s orders
Can a partnership with an international hospital elevate a wellness retreat? Neena Dhillon visits RAKxa in Bangkok, Thailand to find out
Interview: Justin Musgrove
We talk to the CEO of Core Life, the exclusive lifestyle brand which has ambitions to expand to the world's most affluent cities
Sponsored: Starpool: Zerobody Cryo
The new Zerobody Cryo will deliver comfortable cold therapy for spa, wellness and sports says Starpool CEO, Riccardo Turri
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
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Massage robots driven by artificial intelligence are coming to market, while chatbots are becoming ever more powerful.
AI could transform our industry if we learn to embrace innovation
Massage Robotics has already launched an AI-powered device / photo: Massage Robotics
You’re lying on a massage table but there isn’t a therapist in the room. Instead, you’re scanned by a machine that detects muscle and joint issues and uses energy field imaging to locate ‘blockages’. Then an AI massage robot (that you can interact with in real-time) gets to work, taking these parameters into account.
This may sound like sci-fi, but companies such as Massage Robotics, Aescape and Capsix Robotics are engaged in bringing such products to market.
These early AI massage robots can adjust pressure and technique, but are not yet a match for a skilled therapist, however, by their very nature AI devices have the capacity to learn rapidly and our reporters who’ve tried them say sessions are surprisingly pleasant.
The industry has struggled for years with staff shortages and hasn’t done enough to invest in employee salaries, training or development, so we expect some operators to welcome AI robots that can deliver services reliably and be classed as a capital asset rather than a cost centre.
The risk for the sector, however, is that their arrival will negatively alter consumers’ views of the services we offer, meaning AI robots will need to be deployed with care.
They could prevent staff burnout if used by therapists to assist with treatments and we foresee a time when robots and humans work side by side.
But if we don’t integrate them carefully they could cause harm, so a tactical, industry-wide approach, backed up by effective training governed by leading industry bodies is needed.
Also coming down the AI track are new, highly sophisticated chatbots by Google, Microsoft and OpenAI which act as hyper-personalised internet assistants, guiding purchasing decisions.
In his debut as Spa Business’ contributing editor on page 18, Jeremy McCarthy focuses on chatbots, predicting the tech behind them will change the world on a scale akin to the internet.
People who work in spas are typically focused on hands-on healing, shying away from tech, however, we have a real opportunity to become a leading sector in the use of AI if we tackle it fearlessly and ensure our teams are trained in its use.
Although AI in its many guises still feels a way off, now is the time to prepare to embrace innovation.
Katie Barnes is the editor of Spa Business magazine
| [email protected]
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Write to reply: Letters
Zulal's Sandie Johannessen shares her passion for medical wellness and Kloodos' Julie Cichocki says wellness protocols should start with the vagus nerve
Spa People: Leekyung Han
The South Korean-born spa consultant on why her home country should be on the radar of all wellness developers
Sponsored: Art of Cryo: Working well
Spa operators and corporate offices can now offer a comprehensive, six-part wellness journey designed by Art of Cryo to elevate health
Research: Wellness Travel Consumer Survey
A general reboot and nature/outdoor activities are key considerations for wellness tourists according to a new study by WTA. Anne Dimon reports
First person: Doctor’s orders
Can a partnership with an international hospital elevate a wellness retreat? Neena Dhillon visits RAKxa in Bangkok, Thailand to find out
Interview: Justin Musgrove
We talk to the CEO of Core Life, the exclusive lifestyle brand which has ambitions to expand to the world's most affluent cities
Sponsored: Starpool: Zerobody Cryo
The new Zerobody Cryo will deliver comfortable cold therapy for spa, wellness and sports says Starpool CEO, Riccardo Turri
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
Mexican operator, Solmar Hotels and Resorts, is hosting a series of events in celebration of
Global Wellness Day, including a Temazcal ceremony at its Playa Grande Resort and Spa in Los
Cabos.
Mandarin Oriental has announced a standalone residence brand, Mansions, which will debut at
Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental Mansions, Abu Dhabi, in 2029.
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
(GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and shaped by four pillars of Joy – in
alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
