Virtual Receptionist

Meet Shanice, a virtual receptionist who began working for Brent Council in London yesterday. She is projected on to a screen behind a Civic Hall desk and answers a limited number of questions, which visitors can key in using a touch screen function. Her detractors have labelled her a "gimmick" and a waste of money, but her one-off cost of £12,000 is much cheaper than paying a real person a salary of £30,000 a year (CLICK). She's also a lot prettier than the security guards who act as receptionists in my local Town Hall.