Auckland's International Airport has deployed a remarkably human-like female virtual assistant to answer travellers' queries about biosecurity matters. Virtual Assistant Interface (Vai) has been developed by Auckland company FaceMe with support from Westpac's Innovation Fund. FaceMe says the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) is trialling Vai in the airport's biosecurity arrivals area to see whether she will become a permanent feature. "Vai can see, hear and answer arriving international visitors' questions." FaceMe says Vai was built using its platform that offers companies customised digital employees that, with training, can offer personalised service using natural language.