Every government office knows the scenario. Phones ring constantly. Citizens ask the same questions: where to submit an application, what documents to prepare, how to check case status. Staff repeat identical information dozens of times daily while complex cases sit in the queue.
Automation sounds like an obvious solution. In practice, most offices face the question: where to start and how to avoid costly mistakes?
Effective AI implementation in public administration isn’t about handling more inquiries. It’s about citizens getting the information they need quickly, while staff focus on cases requiring expertise and personal attention. Examples from different countries show this is achievable – with the right approach.
Why public administration needs different solutions than business
Government offices face challenges that aren’t always obvious at first glance. Every AI assistant response must be verifiable and based on current regulations. There’s no room for “let’s see how it works” experiments – a misdirected citizen or incorrect information creates not just frustration, but potential legal problems for the office.
Four areas where AI delivers measurable value in public administration:
Reducing call center load. A typical office receives numerous repetitive inquiries daily. “What documents do I need for an ID card?” “How do I register my child for preschool?” “Where can I pay property tax?” These questions consume most consultants’ time, even though answers are identical for every citizen.
Access to information in the citizen’s language. An office may not have a Ukrainian-speaking consultant available. An AI assistant can handle inquiries in dozens of languages.
Consistent answers for everyone. Every citizen receives identical, current information. The system works from an official knowledge base that can be updated centrally.
Scaling without proportional cost increases. An office handling 100 daily inquiries and one handling 1,000 need similar AI infrastructure. The cost difference is minimal compared to hiring the appropriate number of consultants.
How it works in practice – examples from different countries
Buenos Aires – a city handling 2 million monthly inquiries
Buenos Aires launched the Boti assistant in 2019 via WhatsApp. The numbers speak for themselves: the system handles 2 million monthly inquiries without any human intervention. It resolves 82% of questions independently, without escalation to a consultant.
Importantly, Boti isn’t limited to standard information. It helps with driver’s license renewals, provides healthcare information, gives public transit schedules, books appointments, and supports tourists in two languages. In January 2022, the system conducted 11 million conversations – a record demonstrating the scale of residents’ needs.
In 2024, Buenos Aires integrated Boti with generative AI models, achieving 98.9% accuracy in finding the right information and 92-98% linguistic accuracy in responses in Argentine Spanish.
South Korea – when one system connects multiple agencies
South Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety launched a virtual assistant for citizens in March 2021. The goal was ambitious: 1 million users by year-end.
Reality exceeded expectations by 1,200%. By September 2021, during COVID-19 relief fund distribution, the system had 14.16 million users. By February 2022, that number grew to 32.2 million.
The system sent 166.9 million COVID-19 vaccination notifications to nearly 28 million people. It also handles health checkup reminders, traffic fines, driver’s license renewals, and social benefits – all integrated with over ten government agencies.
Koreans access the system through popular messengers: KakaoTalk (26%), Naver app (14%), Toss (58%), and SMS (2%). This shows effective digitization means going where citizens are, not forcing them to install another government app.
Polish experience with AI in public administration
Wrocław – We created a chatbot that has been answering residents’ questions since 2020 on the city website, Facebook, and Instagram. The city also has chatbots dedicated to tourists and one about Wrocław’s famous dwarfs.
Gdynia – Launched a chatbot allowing residents to quickly find answers about vehicle registration, applications, and municipal fees.
Częstochowa – The city, together with the Ministry of Digital Affairs, is launching a pilot program implementing AI for faster drafting of official letters, analyzing resident inquiries, and summarizing longer documents.
ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) – AI verifies certain types of applications and helps detect fraud. Plans include implementing systems for calculating benefits, pensions, and retirement payments.
Podlasie Regional Office in Białystok – Tested tools supporting staff in distributing and routing incoming correspondence based on natural language analysis.
Polish pilot – Virtual Citizen Assistant
The free “Virtual Citizen Assistant” pilot program we’re running targets municipal offices, city offices, and civil registry offices that want to improve citizen service and introduce modern AI-based solutions.
The assistant will be available on the office website, answering residents’ questions, helping them prepare documents, find the right forms, and get needed information. The system is prepared based on content from official office websites, frequently asked questions from residents, and staff knowledge about daily procedures.
How implementation works
Obviously, instructions, processes, and procedures for serving residents are necessary, along with examples of actual inquiries. All data is anonymized and processed in compliance with GDPR.
After implementation, the assistant doesn’t require ongoing operation by municipal staff. After commercial deployment, office employees can independently update basic information about office operations and changes in handled matters. During the pilot phase, the office team has access to a statistics panel and can review conversations with residents.
Automation is a tool, not a goal
Good automation in public administration has two goals. First: citizens quickly and conveniently get the information they need, when they need it, in an understandable way. Second: office staff can dedicate time and attention to matters requiring human judgment, empathy, and expertise.
The Virtual Citizen Assistant pilot gives offices the opportunity to test the solution at no cost, with support from an experienced team. The program shows what AI implementation adapted to Polish administrative realities looks like in practice.
Digitization of public administration will continue. The question isn’t “whether,” but “how.” Examples from around the world show that thoughtful automation delivers measurable results. Polish offices – from Wrocław to Częstochowa – are already testing different approaches. The Virtual Citizen Assistant pilot program is the next step in this direction, offering a proven solution adapted to Polish administration’s specific needs.