Council to replace human receptionist with Shanice the hologram

A hologram is to replace a human receptionist at the front desk of a London town hall. Brent council have spent £12,000 on "Shanice" the "virtual assistant" at the £90 million civic centre to "help point people in the right direction".

The hologram, played by actress Shanice Stewart-Jones, is only programmed to answer a limited number of questions. It includes telling visitors where the correct part of the building is to register births and deaths or apply for a marriage licence or citizenship.


YouTube link.

Brent said that the hologram will sit "behind a desk just like a real receptionist, but on closer inspection she’s actually projected onto a see-through screen". Shanice will have a touch-screen function where visitors can type in the reason for their visit and be told where they should go and what paperwork they need.

It is understood to be the first of its kind to be used by a council. The council said the hologram initially cost £12,000, which they claim will save £17,000 compared to a human receptionist, but extra will need to be spent on Shanice’s "reprogramming costs".