Are we talking to the walls now?

Are we heading toward a future where we talk to physical spaces?

Not just tap screens.
Not just read signs.
But actually… ask places for help?

I’ve been thinking about that a lot since a recent project at Melbourne Airport, where I helped the Two Eyed People bring a talking Christmas koala to life.

We even built in privacy-safe facial recognition so it could detect when someone was engaging with it

People could ask it questions about the airport, directions, general info — and instead of poking at a screen or hunting for a help desk, they were chatting to a festive, slightly cheeky marsupial on a giant touchscreen.

On paper, it sounds like a novelty.
And for a lot of people, it was.

But standing nearby and watching it in action, what stuck with me wasn’t just the tech (though there was plenty going on under the hood with conversational AI and personality design).

It was watching how people behaved.

Kids treated it like magic.
Adults started hesitant… then leaned in.
Some just wanted quick info. Others stayed to chat, test it, joke with it.

It didn’t feel like they were “using a system.”
It felt like they were interacting with a character who happened to be helpful.

Right now, that still feels new. Playful. Optional.

But what happens when it’s not a novelty anymore?

When talking to walls, kiosks, and public spaces becomes normal?

There’s a lot to love about this.

Done well, conversational systems in physical spaces can be:

• More accessible for people who struggle with complex interfaces
• More human and less intimidating than cold touchscreens
• More engaging, which means people are actually more likely to get the help they need

But there’s another side to it too…

When we give technology a personality, we change the social contract.

People are more patient.
More forgiving.
More open.

And more trusting...
Especially when they realise how much it really understands them.
It’s easy to forget there’s still a system behind it — full of wizards behind their curtains.

So the challenge isn’t just:
“How do we make this delightful?”

It’s also:
“How do we make this honest?”

How do we make sure people know what it can and can’t do?
When they’re talking to AI versus a human?
What’s happening with their data in the background? Who can see it? How long can they see it?

Because the more human these systems feel, the more responsibility we have to design them with care.

I’m genuinely excited about this space — the idea that environments can become more responsive, more helpful, more human in how they communicate. It opens up so much more possibilities, and its easier to see how the physical world and the digital world might be merging even more.

I was recently so excited I even gave my old TV new super powers… the ability to talk.

Watch on TikTok

But I think the future of this isn’t just about smarter AI.

It’s about better boundaries.
Better transparency.
And better choices about where personality adds real value… and where it shouldn’t replace people.

Curious how others feel about this becoming more common in public spaces.

When the novelty wears off, how do you think people will react?

(and also… just fyi… if you’d like to have a chat about how I built this, or if you’ve got a cool idea on how you could activate a conversational agent in your space… shoot me a DM)