First Look at LaGuardia’s New AI Hologram Guide Named Bridget

Travelers stepping into Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport now spot a full-size hologram waiting near the food hall. She stands there in crisp professional clothes, smiling slightly, looking so real that people often pause for a second before realizing she is made of light. Her name is Bridget, and she exists to answer questions on the spot.

Anyone can just step up and speak with her directly. Bridget listens and then begins chatting in a cheerful, ordinary voice, as if you were speaking with a coworker who is eager to help rather than a robot. Need to get the gate for a flight about to take off? She’ll give you very clear directions and live updates on the terminal layout, which is always changing. Do you want to discover where the nearby restaurant or lounge is? She’ll walk you through the shortest route, outlining what to look out for along the way. She does the same for baggage claim, keeping the information up to date even when crowds shift and flights change.

Proto, a Los Angeles-based company, developed the technology that allows her image to be displayed on a screen. They created a realistic-looking person that moves and gestures as if they were standing just in front of you. Holomedia provided the AI software that allows her to understand what you’re saying and answer in a conversational manner. Overall, they’ve managed to transform a simple kiosk into an effective collaborator in assisting those who are lost or in a hurry.

Bridget can currently speak English as well as Spanish fluently, and more languages will be added soon. The entire chat is captioned on the screen, and controls are put up so that wheelchair users may use them, making the entire experience more accessible and inclusive. To ensure that no one is left behind, the terminal is always open.


LaGuardia Gateway Partners manages Terminal B, and they hired Bridget in as extra support during the busier times, as she fills in when queues at the human customer service desks become too lengthy. However, she does not replace the actual personnel; instead, she allows them to focus on more difficult tasks while she handles all of the simple inquiries that keep coming up.

David Nussbaum, who founded Proto, put it plainly. Communication with humans will always remain the best way to help travelers find their way, and for the first time in any airport these AI-powered interactive hologram avatars extend the reach of the human guest experience ambassadors. Suzette Noble, chief executive of LaGuardia Gateway Partners, added that the hologram fits the terminal’s long-standing goal of mixing smart tools with genuine care so every journey feels smoother.
[Source]