Generative AI (GenAI) Chatbots like Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing AI), Google’s Gemini (formerly Google Bard), and OpenAI ChatGPT (still OpenAI ChatGPT) are driving extraordinary productivity improvements by assisting knowledge workers in providing highly relevant information, answering questions, and engaging in wide-ranging exploratory conversations.
However, the Wall Street Journey Article “Microsoft’s most ambitious AI upgrade could be too costly for many users” raises some issues concerning the decline in user adoption and enthusiasm for Generative AI products. The promised productivity improvements from using GenAI tools may not be sufficient.
As I discussed in my blog “GenAI: Beware the Productivity Trap; It’s About Economics,” the productivity trap occurs when organizations focus on doing more in less time and with less effort, based on the assumption that productivity is the ultimate goal of an organization. However, this flawed assumption can be dangerous, leading to poor outcomes for the organization and its customers, stakeholders, and constituents. Why?
- Productivity gains, as provided by tools such as GenAI Chatbots, are easy to replicate. Consequently, differentiation from the productivity gains from industry-standard tools available to everyone is unsustainable.
- It’s tough to quantify the economic value of productivity gains. For example, improving meeting effectiveness by 30% doesn’t necessarily translate into improvements in customer retention, unplanned operational downtime, patient treatment outcomes, or marketing campaign effectiveness.
It’s hard to differentiate your company and products based on productivity gains.
However, there is a bigger GenAI play beyond just productivity improvements. That play leverages GenAI as the user interface (UI) to domain-specific use cases that deliver quantifiable operational benefits and customer satisfaction. Let’s explore this further.
GenAI: The User Interface (UI) for AI-driven Economic Benefits?
Faster does not always mean better. Better means delivering more accurate, more reliable, more responsible, more relevant, and less risky outcomes.
Imagine a scenario in which a local municipality deploys a GenAI Chatbot to enhance the efficiency and precision of its services to its residents. The services a municipality offers are extensive, encompassing everything from official office hours and detailed procedures for obtaining tax or licensing documents to public transportation schedules and various city-managed services.
Traditional interactions with the municipality’s service desks can be frustrating and inefficient, characterized by complicated automated response systems and prolonged wait times, with the hope of eventually connecting with a knowledgeable call center representative who possesses a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of municipal operations, a requirement that is both unrealistic and overwhelming.
With a GenAI Chatbot, the municipality could significantly streamline this process, offering immediate, accurate responses to citizen inquiries, thereby improving overall service delivery and constituent satisfaction. But wait, there is even more to this happy ending.
GenAI Chatbot: Data, Insights, Sentiment, and Idea Treasure Trove
When municipalities deploy a GenAI Chatbot, the ensuing citizen and constituent Chatbot conversations provide a treasure trove of insights about citizens’ and constituents’ interests, frustrations, and suggestions. These insights can enhance the municipality’s understanding of its operations and citizen needs. For example:
- Citizen Service and Policy Feedback: Identify dissatisfaction trends by analyzing grievances, enabling targeted service improvements and policy adjustments.
- Emerging Community Issues: Use chatbot data as an early warning system for road maintenance and safety concerns, facilitating proactive responses.
- Community Event and Service Ideas: Uncover creative suggestions for new events and public services through citizen engagement via the chatbot.
- Service Demand Trends: Spot trends in service inquiries to anticipate community needs and adjust resource allocation efficiently.
- Public Information Gaps: Highlight repetitive inquiries as indicators of where public information is lacking, guiding enhancements in communication.
- Public Sentiment Analysis: Gauge community sentiment on various topics to refine municipal initiatives and communication strategies.
- Under-served Area Identification: Detect under-served communities or issues through chatbot conversations, directing targeted interventions.
- Emergency Response Evaluation: Gather feedback on emergency responses to improve crisis management and public safety measures.
- Cultural and Event Feedback: Analyze feedback on municipal events to align future planning with community interests better.
- Policy Impact Analysis: Evaluate the effects of policies and regulations, identifying opportunities for adjustment to meet community needs better.
Figure 1: GenAI Chatbot Generated Citizen Insights
The GenAI Chatbot can be a vehicle for tapping into the wealth of community insights by empowering citizens to become more proactively involved in the growth and development of their communities. But wait, there is even more!
GenAI Chatbot: AI-driven Use Case On-ramp
A GenAI chatbot, leveraging the treasure trove of citizen and community insights, can significantly impact where and how the municipality uses AI to enhance its support and enablement of its citizens and constituents, including:
- Police and Fire Safety: A GenAI chatbot streamlines incident reporting to allocate safety resources strategically.
- Economic Development: It captures insights on local business and citizen needs to inform investment attraction and support economic growth.
- Road Maintenance: The chatbot facilitates easy reporting of road issues, helping prioritize and optimize maintenance efforts.
- Event Management: Gathering event feedback enables municipalities to tailor events to meet community expectations better.
- Urban Planning: Citizen input on public space use informs urban development decisions, ensuring alignment with community needs.
- Public Transportation: Feedback on public transit systems via the chatbot aids route optimization and service quality improvement.
- Healthcare Services: The chatbot collects feedback on local healthcare, highlighting areas for service enhancement.
- City Services: It is a central point for reporting city service issues and improving response times and service quality.
- Environmental Management: Citizen observations on environmental concerns guide municipal ecological policies and initiatives.
In each area, the key is collecting data and applying AI tools to identify and predict patterns and trends that drive more informed decision-making that enhances the quality of life for their citizens and constituents (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Municipality GenAI Chatbot: User Interface to AI Use Cases
Other Industry Examples
Several additional industries can benefit from a GenAI chatbot that acts as the user interface to a wide range of industry-relevant use cases, including:
- University GenAI Chatbot supports student retention, student performance, student recruiting, curriculum planning, faculty retention, student wellness, alumni giving, and campus facility management use cases.
- Healthcare GenAI Chatbot supports patient outcomes effectiveness, symptoms assessment, health monitoring, wellness data access, chronic disease management, mental health support, supply chain management, and clinical trial recruitment.
- Retail GenAI Chatbot supports customer service effectiveness, personalized shopping, inventory management, markdown management, shrinkage, supply chain optimization, and loyalty program effectiveness.
- Finance GenAI Chatbot supporting customer support effectiveness, fraud detection, financial advice effectiveness,
- Hospitality GenAI Chatbot supports booking effectiveness, concierge services effectiveness, dynamic pricing, predictive maintenance, facility management, event planning, and food and beverage management.
- Manufacturing GenAI Chatbot supports supply chain optimization, predictive maintenance, operational efficiency, worker safety compliance, quality control, and energy management.
GenAI Chatbot: UI for AI Summary
Don’t become complacent by the GenAI productivity promises because faster doesn’t always mean better, more accurate, or less risky when reengineering or transforming operational processes and business models.
The insights derived from GenAI Chatbot conversations extend far beyond mere productivity improvements. They provide a comprehensive view of the community’s needs, expectations, and aspirations, enabling municipalities to leverage AI to tailor their services and foster a more engaged, satisfied, and cohesive community.
Even more important is that the GenAI Chatbot, as part of a more extensive data and analytics strategy, empowers your citizens and constituents to have a voice in the management and growth of their community.
