Aberdeen City Council has launched a chatbot to respond to questions on a series of its services.
Named AB-1, it has been developed as part of the council’s collaboration with Microsoft and is said to be the first for a local authority in Scotland using the company’s technology.
Initially AB-1 will deal with questions on waste and recycling, roads and street lighting, education and council tax, signposting customers to relevant information. It appears on the council website’s home page and on the landing pages for the individual services.
A spokesperson said that it plans to extend the use of the bot to other services.
It has also developed an internal chatbot to deal with payroll and leave queries.
Modernisation
Director of customer services Andy MacDonald said: “Aberdeen City Council is modernising its business through collaboration with Microsoft by redesigning services around the customer and their needs.
“Digital technology is allowing us to do this in new and exciting ways. We look forward to developing AB-1 in the months ahead as well as progressing other cost-effective innovations that will transform both the Council and our interactions with customers.”
Image from Aberdeen City Council
