China Eastern.jpg (Photo : Reuters)
China Eastern's passengers are in for a real treat as artificial intelligence functions are incorporated into the cabin. An avatar called the Donghang Xiao Ice took its first flight with China Eastern's MU5117 from Shanghai to Beijing on Tuesday afternoon.
Donghang Xiao Ice received positive reviews from the passengers on its maiden flight.
The avatar was designed to enhance onboard social communication. Around 95 passengers were able to see for themselves what this avatar could do. They were allowed to use the Microsoft Corp-designed functions to communicate with the avatar as well as with their cabin crew and co-passengers.
The passengers of the said flight said that they were particularly satisfied with the in-flight Wi-Fi service they were able to use using their tablets. Because of this connection, they were able to interact with other passengers even if they were mostly strangers.
The passengers were also pleased that they could order for the usual in-flight services such as food, beverages, blankets and the like before they board. They were also happy that they could get real-time flight information before boarding. The avatar enabled them to call for cabin crew and communicate with people on the ground.
Xiao Ice is only the beginning of a planned revolution. China Eastern, which is a large airline having an annual passenger volume of around 100 million, is still planning to expand what it currently has. It still plans to work more with Microsoft so that more innovative in-flight communication functions would be offered in the near future.
The chief executive officer of the company, Wei Zhilin, said that it is their goal for their passengers to have more fun during their flights.
