By Amber Hickman |
Derby City Council has launched the UK’s first generative AI phone assistant for the public sector in collaboration with Microsoft partner ICS.AI.
The council’s digital helper, named Darcie, has been upgraded with generative and natural language AI capabilities, allowing city residents to speak to Darcie over the phone and get answers to questions about council services at any time during the day.
“Working with Microsoft has enabled us to deliver a truly channel-agnostic, multilingual AI service for Derby City Council, available 24/7 across both phone and web,” said Martin Neale, CEO of ISC.AI. “Microsoft’s integrated platform helps reduce the risk often associated with deploying new and evolving technologies, and the collaboration with its global ‘black belt’ development team has allowed us to rigorously test and apply Azure AI in real-world public sector use cases. This deployment demonstrates how enterprise-grade AI infrastructure can help close the adoption gap and deliver measurable improvements in public service delivery.”
Since launching Darcie, Derby City Council has reduced pressure on its switchboard, with transferred call volumes dropping by 84 per cent during peak times on its first day of operation, and the assistant has successfully answered 57 per cent of all enquiries.
“We want every resident to be able to access information and support from the council in a way that suits them regardless of language or digital capability,” said Paul Simpson, CEO of Derby City Council. “This new version of Darcie is a huge step forward in our service delivery to residents, as well as accessibility and inclusion. It means residents can simply pick up the phone, speak in their preferred language and get the help they need.”
The collaboration between ICS.AI and Derby City council was recognised during a UK parliament session by Luke Murphy MP, who highlighted the firm’s role is digital public service reform.