Travelers at the capital's BER (Berlin Brandenburg) airport have recently been able to take advantage of a new digital service from Deutsche Bahn. Deutsche Bahn has installed an information kiosk in Terminal 1 called "Kiana," powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
The pilot project, which runs until mid-October 2025, aims to provide passengers with information about the fastest and cheapest train connection to Berlin's city center using advanced language models. Although the digital assistant is not yet able to operate without human assistance, this test run marks another step for Deutsche Bahn in the digitalization of its customer service.
A digital face of the railway: How “Kiana” works
The inconspicuous, yet state-of-the-art column is located on the mezzanine level of Terminal 1. It features a touchscreen, speakers, and a microphone that allow travelers to interact directly with the artificial intelligence. "Kiana" uses so-called "Large Language Models" (LLM), a technology that enables the AI to understand human language and generate meaningful responses based on it.
The goal of the project is to offer travelers a quick and easy way to obtain information about their onward journey. Passengers can ask "Kiana" questions such as "What's the quickest way to Alexanderplatz?" or "How much does the next trip to Berlin Central Station cost?" The column then provides information about the nearest and cheapest train connection.
However, there are some limitations:
- "Kiana" cannot book or sell tickets directly. Instead, passengers are redirected to the Deutsche Bahn website or app via a QR code displayed on the touchscreen, where they can complete the purchase.
- The system is currently only operational on weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 15:00 p.m. This is because a railway employee is stationed next to the column to assist passengers in case of problems.
A pilot project with starting difficulties
As with many new technologies, the test operation of "Kiana" isn't going smoothly. Officials at Deutsche Bahn admit that the voice assistant is still operating "roughly." The technology doesn't always understand requests right away, and the voice output from the column isn't always clearly understandable for customers. However, these initial difficulties are to be expected in a pilot project and are intended to further improve the technology.
After the trial ends in mid-October, the collected data will be analyzed in detail. A decision on how to proceed will then be made. "Our plan is to establish the smart travel advice system with Kiana at other train stations in the future," said Carmen Maria Parrino , Managing Director of Local Transport at the railway subsidiary DB Vertrieb . She added that discussions are already underway with public transport authorities, suggesting a wider rollout of the project.
Artificial Intelligence in Customer Service: A Trend in the Mobility Industry
The use of AI in customer service has long been a reality in many industries, and the mobility sector is no exception. Deutsche Bahn has already experimented with digital assistants and chatbots on its website in the past. However, the "Kiana" project is an important step toward physical, interactive customer interfaces at train stations.
Other European transport companies are also relying on similar technologies. For example, the French national railway company SNCF and the British railway companies are also testing digital assistants to improve customer service and increase efficiency. The reasons for this are varied:
- Relief for staff: AI systems can handle simple and recurring customer requests, giving human employees more time to focus on complex issues.
- 24/7 availability: Ideally, AI assistants, unlike human employees, could be available at all times.
- Increase in efficiency: Fast processing of requests can reduce waiting times for travelers and improve travel flow.
The pilot project at BER is an important test of the usability of artificial intelligence in a public space where many different languages and dialects exist. The findings from this project will be of great value not only to Deutsche Bahn, but also to other transport companies across Europe.