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LaGuardia Airport AI hologram answers traveler questions

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LaGuardia Airport AI hologram answers traveler questions

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Airports can feel like a maze when you are rushing to a gate, hunting for baggage claim or trying to find a lounge before boarding. Now, LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B wants to make that all feel a little less stressful with a life-sized AI hologram named Bridget.

Bridget can hold a real conversation with you. She can answer questions about gates, shops, baggage claim and VIP lounges. She can also give you step-by-step directions using real-time terminal maps.

That could be a welcome change if you have ever wandered through an airport looking for what you need. The bigger question is whether you would actually want help from a hologram when a real person may be just a few steps away.

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Travelers at LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B can now ask a life-sized AI hologram named Bridget for directions, gate information and baggage claim help. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)

What is the LaGuardia AI hologram?

Bridget is a hyper-realistic AI hologram now located near the Terminal B Food Hall at LaGuardia Airport in New York. The technology comes from a collaboration between Proto, the hologram hardware company, and Holomedia’s AI Concierge Wayfinder platform.

Together, the system lets travelers ask natural questions instead of searching through signs or tapping through an app.

Right now, Bridget speaks English and Spanish. More languages are expected later. The kiosk also includes on-screen subtitles, high-contrast displays and a physical interface positioned for wheelchair accessibility. LaGuardia Gateway Partners, which manages Terminal B, says more units are planned across both concourses.

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How Bridget helps LaGuardia travelers

LaGuardia Gateway Partners frames Bridget as extra help for travelers rather than a replacement for human workers. The idea is to support the guest experience team during busy periods, especially when staff members are already helping other passengers.

“At Terminal B, our North Star has always been to provide an exceptional guest experience through a unique blend of innovation and world-class hospitality,” said Suzette Noble, Chief Executive Officer of LaGuardia Gateway Partners. “The introduction of the interactive AI hologram aligns perfectly with this vision, allowing us to leverage next-generation technology to meet the evolving needs of our travelers. By providing an additional layer of intelligent, multilingual support, we are ensuring that every guest who passes through our terminal enjoys a seamless and stress-free journey.”

So, in other words, you can just walk up, ask where to go and get directions without digging through your phone.

What the LaGuardia AI hologram can answer

Bridget can answer common airport questions that usually send travelers searching for a sign, app or employee. Travelers can ask for directions to gates, shops, lounges and baggage claim. The system can also provide live mapping and step-by-step guidance around the terminal. 

In a company-provided video, Bridget guides a traveler to Gate 19 with turn-by-turn directions and then offers a QR code so the traveler can take the directions with them.

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That could help during peak travel days, when lines get longer and airport workers have less time to answer the same questions over and over.

David Nussbaum, founder of Proto Hologram, says the technology extends human support rather than replacing it.

“Communication with humans will always be the best way to help travelers find their way, and for the first time in any airport, AI-powered interactive hologram avatars extend the reach of the human guest experience ambassadors,” said Nussbaum. “Proto Hologram and Holomedia’s digital helpers can guide and advise travelers in ways that feel natural and intuitive.”

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LaGuardia Airport introduced an AI-powered hologram concierge that gives travelers real-time directions to gates, lounges and shops in Terminal B. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Miami is also testing AI holograms at the airport

LaGuardia isn’t the only airport experimenting with AI holograms. Miami International Airport announced its own AI-powered holographic assistants about three weeks earlier. Miami’s system includes four conversational AI holograms developed with Hypervsn, Satisfi Labs and Mappedin.

Miami’s setup has been described as supporting 40 languages. It also connects with the airport’s website chatbot and WhatsApp assistant. That means you could start a question before you arrive and continue getting help once you are at the airport. Miami’s approach shows how other airports are also testing AI tools to help passengers move through terminals with less confusion.

Will AI holograms make airports less stressful?

That depends on how airports use them. A well-placed hologram that answers simple questions could make travel smoother. A confusing AI kiosk that gives vague answers could become one more thing travelers ignore. The best version of this technology helps people quickly and then gets out of the way. It should support airport staff, not replace the human help travelers still need when flights change, bags go missing, or plans fall apart.

Glenn E. Smith, Spatial Computing XP Architect at Holomedia, says airports are looking for technology that improves operations while creating more personalized journeys.

“As passenger expectations evolve, airports are increasingly seeking technologies that not only improve operational efficiency, but also create memorable, frictionless, and personalized journeys,” said Smith.

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That is a pretty big promise. However, travelers will judge it by a much simpler standard: Did it answer my question and help me get where I needed to go?

What this means to you

For travelers, this could be helpful if the technology works well. Anyone who has walked the wrong way through an airport knows how stressful that can feel. A conversational kiosk could make it easier to find a gate, locate baggage claim or get to a lounge without hunting through signs. It may also help travelers who prefer spoken directions or need accessibility features like captions and a lower physical interface.

Still, AI airport assistants need to earn trust. Travelers will want clear answers, accurate directions and easy access to a real person when the technology gets confused. 

There is also the privacy question. Bridget appears focused on wayfinding and guest service. But airports are also testing AI tools that connect with biometrics, mobile apps and passenger data. That broader shift deserves close attention.

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Bridget, a conversational AI hologram at LaGuardia Airport, helps passengers navigate Terminal B with multilingual support and live mapping tools. (Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Kurt’s key takeaways

Bridget gives LaGuardia’s Terminal B a new way to help you find your way through a busy airport. If it works well, it could answer the simple questions that often create the most stress, like where to find your gate, your bags or the nearest lounge. Still, this story is bigger than one hologram in New York. Miami and other airports are also testing AI tools that could change how you get help before and during a trip. Some tools may look like friendly digital people. Others may live inside apps, websites or airport systems you never see. The real test is whether this technology makes travel feel easier. Because when you are late for a flight or trying to find your bag, you probably care less about how impressive it looks and more about whether it actually helps.

Would you rather get airport help from a human worker, a life-sized AI hologram or a smart system running quietly in the background? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Discord accidentally banned over 8,000 people for posting grids and other ‘benign’ images

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Discord accidentally banned over 8,000 people for posting grids and other ‘benign’ images

Stanislav Vishnevskiy, Discord co-founder and chief technology officer, writes that the bug impacted around 200 users who posted “grid-like” pictures, in addition to about 8,000 people who posted “other benign images” since May 2026. “Everyone affected has now been unbanned,” Vishnevskiy says.

In a thread on X, Discord writes that its safety system is designed to flag content by “matching it against known harmful material.” This system can produce “false positives,” Discord explains, which is when an employee would step in to review the flagged content. But instead of just temporarily preventing the account from uploading content during the review, a glitch led its system to ban users entirely.

“When our staff reviewed and cleared those accounts, the same bug prevented the ban from being lifted automatically, so it just stayed in place,” Discord says.

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Hoto’s PixelDrive screwdriver is down to $60, matching its best price

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Hoto’s PixelDrive screwdriver is down to , matching its best price

If your Prime Day purchases included a new desk, TV stand, bookshelf, or other furniture you still haven’t assembled, Hoto’s PixelDrive cordless screwdriver can help speed up the process. It’s currently on sale for $59.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, matching its best price to date.

From tightening loose screws on furniture to repairing electronics, the PixelDrive is designed to handle a wide range of household projects. Hoto includes 30 screwdriver bits that cover many of the most common screw types, all neatly organized in a small cylindrical case. It also offers six adjustable torque settings, allowing you to use less power when working with fragile electronics or increase it when putting together a desk, bookshelf, TV stand, or other furniture. You can also switch between a slower 80RPM mode for more precise work and a faster 200RPM mode with the press of a button.

Hoto also added several features that make assembling projects a little easier. A built-in display lets you quickly check your current torque setting and remaining battery life, while an integrated LED light helps illuminate dim spaces, whether you’re working under a desk or inside a cabinet. The rechargeable 2,000mAh battery also charges over USB-C, so you won’t need to keep buying disposable batteries.

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Starship delivery robots leave campuses for cities

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Starship delivery robots leave campuses for cities

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Those little white robots that once rolled across college sidewalks with lattes, fries and late-night snacks are getting a new assignment. Starship Technologies recently announced that it will wind down its U.S. university campus operations and redeploy more than 1,200 robots toward grocery chains and hot food delivery in cities across the United States and Europe.

If you have ever watched one of these robots patiently wait at a crosswalk like a polite cooler on wheels, you know why students got attached. They became part campus convenience, part mascot. Now, the company is moving from a controlled campus setting into a much tougher public test.

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That raises the bigger question: will these cute campus robots be just as welcome when they start sharing crowded city sidewalks with you?

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Starship is winding down U.S. campus robot operations as it expands grocery delivery in the U.S. and Europe. (Starship)

 

Why Starship is pulling robots from college campuses

Starship says the decision comes down to focus. The company says its grocery delivery operations are on a 10x growth trajectory over the next two years, driven by demand from major retailers in the United States and Europe.

In Finland, Starship says its robots already complete roughly one in five grocery deliveries. That gives the company a real-world model it wants to repeat elsewhere. To support that expansion, more than 1,200 robots from U.S. campus fleets will be moved into grocery delivery. For Starship, that is a major pivot. Campuses helped the company build its brand in the U.S. They also gave the robots a place to learn.

 

Why college campuses were the perfect robot testing ground

Starship made a big U.S. splash at George Mason University in 2019, when the school became the first U.S. university to offer autonomous robot deliveries from Starship. From there, the robots spread to dozens of campuses. That made sense. College students are often hungry at odd hours. Many live without a full kitchen. They also tend to be open to new tech, especially when it brings food to the dorm without small talk.

During the pandemic, contactless delivery became even more appealing. A robot that could roll up with lunch while limiting person-to-person contact suddenly felt useful in a very different way.

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The campus pullback will not happen overnight

Starship says it has worked with its university campuses and industry partners to keep service running through the 2026–2027 back-to-school season, with transition plans in place to reduce disruption. So, this does not appear to be an instant shutdown where every campus robot disappears at once. Instead, the company is moving away from the university model while preparing its fleet for a bigger push into grocery and restaurant delivery.

For students who loved the bots, it may still feel like the end of an era. For Starship, though, it is a move toward the market where the company believes the economics are stronger. Starship CEO and co-founder Ahti Heinla says the company’s robots can deliver groceries at a cost $3-$4 lower per delivery than traditional courier fulfillment. That is the kind of claim that gets the attention of retailers trying to make last-mile delivery less expensive.

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Why city sidewalks could be a tougher test

The next phase could get messy. Delivery robots have to share sidewalks with people who are walking, pushing strollers, using wheelchairs, carrying groceries or trying to catch a bus. That means every design choice matters. A robot that blocks a curb ramp can create a real problem. A robot that pauses in the wrong spot can turn from cute to irritating fast. If one reverses unexpectedly or gets stuck near a crosswalk, the novelty wears off even faster.

There have already been warning signs. Reports have described delivery robots bumping into people, getting stuck in odd places and raising accessibility concerns. Chicago has also seen local pushback and safety concerns around sidewalk delivery robots, which shows Starship still has work to do if it wants city residents to embrace them. That is the challenge Starship now faces. The same robot that felt charming on a campus may feel like clutter on a narrow sidewalk.

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Starship Technologies is shifting more than 1,200 campus delivery robots to grocery and restaurant deliveries in cities. (Starship)

 

What grocery delivery changes

Grocery delivery is a different business from campus food delivery. A college order might be a sandwich, a soda or a late-night snack. A grocery run can involve heavier items, more frequent routes and customers who expect reliability every time. If Starship can make that work, the payoff could be huge. Grocery stores want cheaper local delivery. Customers want speed without sky-high fees. Cities want fewer cars clogging short delivery routes.

Starship says the global food delivery market is now worth $650 billion and needs delivery systems with higher autonomy levels. The company also says it has completed more than 10 million deliveries, which gives it a sizable head start in the sidewalk robot category.

However, the public will need convincing. People may welcome a robot bringing milk and eggs on a rainy night. They may also get annoyed if that same robot blocks a sidewalk during the morning rush. That will all decide whether sidewalk robots become normal or face more local limits.

 

Why Estonia still matters to Starship

Starship was founded in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2014 by Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis. Estonia remains home to the company’s core engineering and AI development team. That is important because this shift is not only about where the robots operate.

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The big question for robot delivery

Starship’s move shows where the delivery robot business is headed. College campuses helped make the robots likable. Grocery delivery may determine whether they become profitable. Still, the sidewalks belong to the public. That means companies need more than clever machines. They need trust, clear rules and designs that respect people who move through cities in different ways.

A delivery robot should never make a sidewalk harder to use for someone with a cane, stroller or wheelchair. It should not turn public space into an obstacle course. If companies want these robots to feel normal, they need to prove they can operate without making daily life more frustrating.

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Starship says grocery delivery demand is pushing its robot fleet from college campuses into urban neighborhoods. (Starship)

 

What this means to you

You may start seeing more delivery robots near grocery stores, restaurants and apartment-heavy neighborhoods. If that happens, pay attention to how they behave in your area. Look for whether they yield to pedestrians, avoid curb ramps and handle crowded sidewalks well. Also, check whether your city has rules for personal delivery devices. Some places allow pilot programs, while others limit where these robots can operate.

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If a robot causes a problem, document it safely. Take a photo or video, note the location and report it to your city or the delivery company. That is important because local officials need real examples, not vague frustration, when they decide what rules should apply. There is also a privacy angle. These robots use sensors and cameras to navigate. Companies may say the data supports safe operation, but you still deserve clear answers about what gets collected, how long it is kept and whether law enforcement can request it.

 

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Starship’s campus exit feels like the end of a quirky era, especially for students who got used to seeing the little robots rolling around campus. But this shift also tells us something bigger about where autonomous delivery is going. The next battle will happen on city sidewalks, not college campuses. If these robots save money and reduce short car trips, they could become very useful. But if they crowd walkways or create safety headaches, people will push back hard. To me, the real test is pretty clear. Robot delivery needs to work for everyone on the sidewalk, including people who never ordered anything.

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Would you be ok with a delivery robot on your block, or would you rather keep your sidewalks robot-free? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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