Can new technologies make it easier for local governments to communicate with residents? Or will they make it more difficult? The Chatbots for Local Governments project aims to answer these questions. The project runs until March 2025 with support from the Civic Innovation Fund.
Will chatbots help government officials?
“The project will explore how new technologies can improve communication between local governments and citizens,” explains Konrad Kiljan, who leads the research. “Its main goal is to test how useful AI-powered chatbots can be for collecting data and opinions, to help governments create better public policies,” he adds. To meet these goals, a special platform was created and tested with local government employees – a tool designed to help them handle daily challenges.
The future of the project
The findings will serve as guidance: first, they will help implement similar technologies. Second, they will be shared with European and national regulators in a clear, easy-to-read report.
The project’s expert partners are Barcelona en Comú and CEE Digital Democracy Watch. With their support, the project will have an international reach and will help create recommendations for technology development and regulation across Europe.
Success for Pracownia Zmiany
Out of over 50 applications, 5 projects were chosen for funding. The evaluation was done by international hubs and the 2024 program sponsor (Porticus)based on detailed criteria.
Pracownia Zmiany was also recognized by joining a European network of organizations focused on civic education. Through workshops and meetings, they will exchange experiences with other members. See the map of all organizations.
The Civic Innovation Fund is supported by Robert Bosch Stiftung, Porticus Amsterdam C.V., ERSTE Foundation, and the King Baudouin Foundation.