Enfield Council is to enlist the help of an artificial intelligence by the name of Amelia which will deliver various services directly to the public.
This is the first time that an AI will be implemented in the public sector, and its usage has been described as a significant milestone for the council's overall digital strategy.
Amelia, the product of IPsoft, is described as a 'virtual agent' which can analyse and comprehend natural language, capable of understanding context and even emotions, as well as learning from its experiences.
When Amelia goes live with Enfield Council later this year, the AI will help citizens with various tasks such as completing standard application forms. The system is also expected to be used on the website to help folks navigate web pages and find the information they're looking for.
Cost conscious
Amelia-powered services should start going live in the autumn, with the council stating that the AI is a great way to deliver better services to the public without increasing costs.
Frank Lansink, CEO EU at IPsoft, enthused: "Public organisations around the world, and particularly in the UK, are under considerable pressure to deliver more with less. The consumer digital revolution has opened up interesting new service delivery routes for public bodies, but has also placed high expectations on them, as citizens desire a seamless digital customer experience.
"With the rise of powerful cognitive platforms such as Amelia, government organisations have an opportunity to completely reimagine how frontline public services are delivered. Organisations can not only unlock significant cost efficiencies as routine, high-volume tasks are automated, but, more excitingly, can unlock the full creative potential of their people."
Amelia has already been adopted by a number of organisations in the private sector, including several banks.
