THURROCK Council has launched a new voice activated artificial intelligence assistant which will help make it easier than ever for residents to get the information and advice they need from the council.

The system, which has been called Aimee, has been created to help answer calls about council tax and discounts. The council says that when residents call the council, they should get answers to some of the most common questions more quickly.

Residents will be able to ask Aimee what they want to know and it will provide a response, there and then on the phone.

By using Aimee to deal with more straightforward enquiries it will free up our call centre staff to help residents who need help with more complicated questions. 

Cllr Lynn Worrall, Cabinet member for Overall Change and Improvement Agenda, said: "By leveraging the power of AI we can help get people answers to some of the more common and straightforward questions we are often asked.

"That leaves our customer services team free to deal with the more complex enquiries and help make sure that they are dealt and resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible."

Cllr Sara Muldowney, Cabinet member for Resources, said: "By taking advantage of recent developments in AI we can help people who call us access information straight away and make sure that help and advice is readily available.

"This cutting edge technology will help us better serve, and inform, our residents."

The first conversations Aimee will handle are general queries about council tax, and specific queries about discounts and exemptions.

The system will be closely monitored to ensure that the customer experience is positive. Additionally, Aimee will offer callers the opportunity to give their feedback so that we have an insight into how they feel about using this technology.

Over the coming months voice activated Ai will be used in other services to help with simple enquiries about matters such as housing, rents, and benefits.