SINGAPORE: Residents may now use a chatbot on WhatsApp and Telegram to report municipal issues such as cleanliness, unlawful parking, and animal issues in their neighborhood. The Municipal Services Office (MSO) and the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG) have unveiled a new AI-powered OneService chatbot as part of Singapore’s national artificial intelligence (AI) plan, according to a news release issued on Thursday (Jul 15).
Residents can use WhatsApp and Telegram to “quickly report municipal issues on the fly.”
“The OneService Chatbot is an initiative under the National AI Strategy that promotes continual advances in municipal service delivery responsiveness,” they explained.
It is housed on “commonly-used social messaging platforms” to make providing comments on municipal issues even more straightforward and accessible for citizens.
Members of the public can currently submit comments on such issues by scanning QR codes at common locations such as HDB lift landings.
They can also utilize the OneService App, which requires users to submit a case by choosing from a list of issues and filling in information fields such as the date, time, and location in a “organized manner.”
According to the authorities, users of the chatbot are not compelled to categorize input into “predetermined categories at the outset.” Instead, the chatbot, which is powered by GovTech’s Virtual Intelligent Chat Assistant (VICA) platform, uses artificial intelligence to forecast the type of response based on the user’s first description. READ: A new QR code program aims to make offering input on municipal concerns more efficient. The chatbot directs users to offer essential information in a real-time conversational style to ensure that the feedback is “completely” logged.
Based on the content, geo-location, and photographs given by the resident, the feedback will be immediately forwarded to the agency in charge of the issue.
The OneService App presently receives roughly 20,000 instances of municipal input per month, according to Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister for National Development.
In a Facebook post, Ms Sim stated, “We think the chatbot will make submitting comments even easier and more intuitive.”
MSO and GovTech performed user trials with 450 participants before to the “beta” launch, and “generally found the chatbot straightforward to use and accurate at recognizing the heart of the municipal issue being disclosed,” according to MSO and GovTech.
“Based on this and other important feedback, MSO and GovTech have updated the chatbot, for example, changing the text exchanges for clarity and retraining the AI model to improve prediction accuracy,” they stated.
Residents can text “Hi” to +65 9821 9004 on WhatsApp or @OneServiceSG Bot on Telegram to begin a conversation with the chatbot. They can also go to go.gov.sg/oneservice-whatsapp (WhatsApp) or go.gov.sg/oneservice-telegram (Telegram) (Telegram). Residents are also urged to add the chatbot to their contact list so that they can refer to it more easily in the future. READ New: Singapore to boost ICT spending to S$3.8 billion, with more projects for SMEs COMPETITION FOR PERSONALITY DESIGN IN CHATBOT MSO will run a chatbot design competition as part of the “beta” launch to decide the OneService chatbot’s “personality.” The tournament will take place between July 15 and September 14, 2021. The winner will get S$600 in shopping vouchers, and their entry will be used as the chatbot’s “personality.” Participants must submit an avatar or character artwork, as well as a 500-word explanation of the artwork. Details such as the avatar’s name, inspiration, and personality should all be included in the write-up. READ: A new edition of the myENV app is now available, with information on the environment, water, and food. The competition’s winner will be revealed on MSO’s social media platforms. The winner will be notified, and the agencies will collaborate with him or her to finalize the chatbot’s personality design. All Singapore residents are eligible to participate in the competition./n
