"Hello I'm Bobbie, how may I help you?"
A council is offering support over the telephone 24 hours a day, seven days a week - as it expands its use of artificial intelligence.
Breckland Council has announced the arrival of Bobbie, the phone bot, which can answer queries over the telephone day and night.
The AI technology will initially be focused on providing information on council tax issues and questions.
Later this year it will also be able to answer questions related to housing information, business support, and planning matters.
Bobbie is available all day, every day, and will be alongside the council’s customer services team, which is still available to answer calls during normal office hours.
Cllr Alison Webb, executive member for customer and corporate services, said: “This latest innovation from Breckland Council is a testament to our commitment to serving the community's needs and providing access to information in the most convenient way possible.
“With Bobbie the phone bot on board, residents can be rest assured that their questions will be answered quickly and efficiently.
"I look forward to seeing Bobbie develop further as the year progresses and we train it in answering even more questions.”
Bobbie's taking to the phones is an extension of the council’s existing use of the technology. Last year, Bobbie started answering written questions received by people using the council’s website.
Breckland says that in 85pc of cases, Bobbie was able to resolve a person’s query without having to pass them on for further help, reducing the waiting time for people.
The council followed in the footsteps of North Norfolk Council, which launched Nelly, a similar AI chatbot system, last year.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming a part of everyday life for many but there are widespread fears - including from Elon Musk, the owner of X/Twitter - about some of the negative impacts it could have.
People contact Bobbie via Breckland's telephone lines (01362 656870), if you are looking for information on Council Tax you will be given the option to speak to the AI bot.
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