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Wednesday was the first day on the job for Marie, LaGuardia Airport’s newest customer service hire: a virtual avatar designed to answer questions and help guide visitors through the airport.

The round-faced, chestnut-haired young woman we saw before us was merely a video of a human woman–the Port Authority wouldn’t disclose the actress’s name–but projected on to a 2D flat screen shaped like a woman’s body. The static effect was less Tupac hologram and more Tour Guide Barbie™.

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