Hoping to assist visitors to St. Johns County’s court complex, Clerk Brandon Patty plans to install a new hologram screen system outside the Richard O. Watson Judicial Center in St. Augustine.
“It’s fire,” Patty told The Citizen.
The life-size, AI-powered screen will feature a fully interactive image of the elected official that will offer guidance on everything from disputing parking tickets to expediting divorce proceedings to ordering lunch.
“Navigating our courthouse can be a challenge for even the most experienced customers,” Patty explained in unveiling the “lightly used” screen, reportedly purchased at a “significant” discount from the City of Jacksonville.
Dubbed the Patty Public Service Portal, or PPSP, the graffiti-resistant screen will be installed on a patch of lawn directly in front of the center’s entrance for maximum visibility, explained Patty’s spokesperson, Josh Miller.
As with most AI-backed technologies, Miller acknowledged considerable energy costs to keep the screen running 24 hours a day, but said improved administrative efficiency will offset them.
The savings, he said, will also fund a part-time SJSO deputy to be stationed near the hologram to guard against vandalism.
Miller declined to offer specific numbers.
“Don’t worry about it,” he told The Citizen.
While they wait for their appointments, users will have the option of clicking on a 25-minute documentary chronicling Patty’s rise to County Clerk, including everything from Little League highlights to footage of the local official catching his first fish.
“Let me be clear. I’m laser-focused on sustainable solutions,” Patty explained. “And I’m pretty sure this screen is a solution of some kind.”
His office will hold a special Town Hall meeting to field community feedback on the project at 5:15 a.m. next Saturday in St. Augustine.
Learn more and experience an interactive demonstration of the technology at stjohnsclerk.com/hologram.
APRIL FOOL’S DAY ST. JOHNS COUNTY!
