Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the buzzword these days, sparking as much excitement as controversy.

But did you know that AI and its innovations can also be found in many areas of the best airport in Asia, Changi Airport?

And we’re not just talking about the use of facial-recognition technology at the immigration clearance, either.

These can be found in places such as the Hedge Maze at Jewel’s Canopy Park, Terminal 2’s Insta-famous Wonderfalls as well as within the transit areas. (We’ll get to that in a bit.)

On a whim, I asked an AI-powered digital assistant to show me what “airports in the future would look like”, and honestly, I was surprised by the drawings pulled from an amalgamation of what is deemed “futuristic”.

I also thought to try something fun and see how AI-generated images of futuristic airports will look and how it compares.

Here are the results:

“Futuristic Airport” - AI’s interpretation

We’re not sure if the AI got the brief or if our parameters fell short, but the image created seemed almost like one taken in a regular current-day mall.

Reality: Jewel Changi Airport

Now that looks more like an airport of the future to me.

The Rain Vortex at Jewel Changi Airport probably needs no introduction; day or night, it definitely remains a spectacle that’s hard to beat.

“Futuristic airport with dreamy ceiling” - AI’s interpretation

This rendering looks quite dreamy and seems to be a scene right out of a sci-fi movie.

We imagine that if the colours on the ceiling are moving, it could provide a trippy jo...