AN ARTIFICIALLY intelligent eco-assistant can persuade hotel guests and staff to reduce electricity use by up to a third.

My Green Butler is a cloud-based system that monitors equipment connected to the internet and gives regular, environmentally friendly tips, such as suggesting guests switch off air conditioning units at night or recommending that they take shorter showers.

Via computers, tablet devices or printouts, the system also advises staff to modify behaviour, such as lowering the temperature in rooms when they aren’t in use. The more the system is used, the more tailored its recommendations become, allowing it …