New AI Bot For Bristol Council Queries

New tool aims to make council services more “accessible”

A new AI tool launched by Bristol City Council will make it ‘easier and quicker’ for residents to get the help they need.

It’s called Briz and sits on the council’s website, enabling people to ask questions to get the information they need.

“Briz is an exciting step forward in how we serve the people of Bristol. By embracing new technology, we’re making it easier and quicker for residents to get the help they need, anytime, day or night,” Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council says.

 “It allows us to focus more time on complex queries while still providing instant answers to everyday questions.” 

The aim is to make council services more “accessible, efficient, and responsive for everyone,” he continues.  

Bristol City Council’s Local Offer posted about the new service on its Facebook page.

The Local Offer is a single point where people should be able to get all the information they need on services and support for children an young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (Send) in their local area.

Bristol’s Send Local Offer Facebook page says: ‘You can now get instant answers to a range of queries on Bristol City Council’s website and on the phone.

‘Whether it’s questions about EHCPs, school placements or school transport, Briz will be there to answer queries or direct you to the appropriate support.’

The tool is available on the council’s phone line and can be seen on its website.

But when it comes to Send, how helpful is it?

Question: How long does the EHCP process take?

It definitely wasn’t keen on answering this directly. Eventually the AI directs you to a page which requires seven mouse scrolls to reach the bottom of the page where the legal answer can be found.

Question: How does a Disabled child get a Section 17 assessment?

The first answer failed. The second links to information stating that if a child has a special educational need or disability, you can call the First Response team who will refer you to Disabled Children’s Services.

This will be good news for all families who have a Disabled child who only need phone 0117 903 6444 and ask for the assessment.

Question: Can the council spy on me?

Apparently, if you ask them to stop, they will do so.

The next result links to the Mayor’s office which is unlikely to surprise any of the families involved in the Bristol Send spying accusations.

Finally, just when Bristol thinks its safe from mayoral interference, it links to the council’s Privacy notice which names Marvin Rees as data controller.

After testing the bot online with plenty of Send questions, it appears to have better success than the website’s search function. Surprisingly, it was better than expected. But if you have EHCP questions, they are unlikely to be simple enough for AI to cope with.

Being greeted by the same system on the phone is likely to raise blood pressures across the city.

The AI interface wants that: ‘AI-generated content may contain inaccuracies—always verify important information.’

Home: https://chopsybaby.com/magazine/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@chopsybristolt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/chopsybaby