Council's AI helpers only resolve half of cases

AI assistants introduced by Derby City Council to help streamline queries to its main switchboard are only resolving half the cases they handle without human help.

Digital assistants Darcie and Ali were introduced in 2023 to help website visitors and telephone callers, as part of a multi-million pound AI drive to cut costs.

The technology received what the council called a "major upgrade" last year to improve its understanding and accuracy.

However, figures released by the council this week show that, on average, only about 50% of cases are being resolved by the AI without a human staff member stepping in - a rate that has remained largely unchanged in the last three years.

The council said in a statement that it was "at the forefront" of "a pioneering approach to AI" in local government.

"Most residents contact the council with similar questions about a few key services," the authority added.

"By handling these routine queries, 'Darcie' frees up human staff to focus on more complex tasks and provide personalised support to those who need it most.

"Traditional phone menus often struggle to handle the high volume of requests councils receive and rarely provide help after hours. In contrast, 'Darcie' and 'Ali' are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and can handle multiple requests at the same time."

The technology was introduced in early 2023 at an initial cost of £168,000.

Four full-time equivalent agency jobs were lost the year following the launch of the technology, saving the council about £200,000 a year.

The technology has received generally positive reviews from residents, with 77% who have provided feedback describing it as "positive".

But the authority acknowledged last year that it had "room to improve" after the AI was found to struggle to understand the Derbyshire dialect.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service previously reported that the AI led to a high volume of complaints, prompting the introduction of a "customer focus group" to discuss initial problems.

The council said it was the first UK local authority to replace its main switchboard with a "digital front door".

Residents are directed to Darcie for the council's customer service centre - which handled about 26,000 calls in March this year - and to Ali for Derby Homes' housing inquiries. Together, the two systems have handled more than 3.2 million routine inquiries since their launch.

The council's wider AI programme has identified over £12m in savings across the authority, half of which come from adult care.

The leader of the Derby Conservatives, Steve Hassall, said that most residents wanted to speak to an "actual human".

"For many Derby residents, trying to contact the council has never felt more frustrating, more impersonal or more inaccessible", he said.

"For elderly residents, those without strong digital skills, vulnerable people, or anyone facing urgent and complex problems, this so-called 'digital front door' can feel more like a digital barrier.

"Has this programme genuinely improved customer service, or has it primarily become a cost-cutting exercise dressed up as innovation?"

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