Local councils are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) to offer more efficient, responsive, and personalised interactions with residents.
“Local authorities are experiencing a significant shift in how they approach customer service,” explained Will Blench, CEO of AnywhereNow, a cloud-based dialogue management and contact centre platform built on Microsoft Teams. “The traditional model of rigid, time-consuming interactions is being replaced by flexible, intelligent systems that understand and respond to citizen needs more effectively.”
In terms of intelligent routing, AI systems can now determine the context of citizen queries, verify their initial information, and direct their queries to the most appropriate department or agent.
The technology is particularly suited to addressing complex citizen queries that traditionally required extensive human intervention, said Blench. “We’re seeing councils that want to provide flexibility for their workforce, enabling remote work and more dynamic service delivery,” he told Think Digital Partners.
According to Jurgen Hekkink, AnywhereNow’s head of product marketing, the technology breaks down traditional barriers by supporting multiple languages, providing automatic translation and offering sentiment analysis to understand citizen needs.
“What’s particularly exciting is how AI can automate front-end interactions while maintaining a human touch,” said Hekkink. “It’s not about replacing human agents, but giving them superpowers to serve citizens more effectively.”
The approach is based on freeing up human agents to handle more complex, nuanced citizen interactions while automating standard processes.
Practical applications and real-world impact
Hekkink also points to technology’s ability to reduce operational costs while improving service quality. “AI allows public sector organisations to balance service delivery with budget constraints,” he said. “You can increase service quality while simultaneously reducing operational expenses.”
Benefits include, he said, reduced handling times, more accurate information routing, enhanced citizen satisfaction, improved workforce flexibility and the potential for significant cost savings.
Crucially, Hekkink said the approach emphasises human-AI collaboration rather than replacement. “The goal is to support human agents, not replace them,” he said. “We’re giving public sector workers tools to do their jobs more effectively and with greater job satisfaction.”
The company has already implemented solutions with several local authorities, including one project with Leicestershire County Council.
“We’re entering an AI transformation period,” said Blench. “Every public service process will be touched and optimised by intelligent technology.”
