VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The City of Virginia Beach is asking residents to help name its new chatbot.
The city is expanding its digital government services by adding an automated chatbot to its website and service request mobile app. The bot uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to assist in responding to citizens’ online questions.
Based on the response, the chatbot will automatically display knowledge articles and/or links to information and services provided by the City.
Residents will be able to make the final decision on what the chatbot should be named out of these five proposed names:
- Beachbot
- Ask Neptune
- Ask VB
- VBBot
- Botsby
The City of Virginia Beach has provided the icons below for the following bots.
Voting is available online HERE. Residents can select their favorite choice until Dec. 15. The chatbot’s name will be announced when the service launches in January 2023.
This expanding service is monitored and managed by VB311, a division of the City’s Emergency Communications & Citizen Services Department, which currently receives more than 1,000 chat requests a month and the chatbot will assist by handling basic information requests in a fast and consistent manner.
The chatbot or live agent will also be able to direct the citizen to report an issue or request a service online or via the VBWorks Mobile App (download for iOS or Android). Since May 2021, more than 180,000 citizens requests have been processed through the online/mobile system.
