How Local Governments Can Use AI
Local governments are looking to Artificial Intelligence (AI) to increase efficiencies and enhance services and operations.
Local governments, despite their limited revenue-raising capacity, are expected to provide a wide range of services to residents including roads, waste management, town planning, and community facilities.
State governments collect about 16% of total tax revenue in Australia, while local governments only collect 3-4%, a relatively small proportion of the total.
The high expectations for service delivery to local communities, alongside ongoing financial pressures has led some local governments to look to Artificial Intelligence (AI) to increase efficiencies. This can be realised with productivity gains led by AI assistants, such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot.
Here are 7 ways local governments can use improve efficiency, decision-making, and engagement with residents:
Deliver better customer service
One of the most immediate applications of AI in local government is enhancing customer service.
AI-powered agents on council websites can handle routine inquiries, freeing up staff for more complex case-by-case issues. These agents can use natural language processing to analyse sentiment of resident feedback and complaints, identifying trends and areas for improvement.
Agents can be configured to operate like virtual assistants, guiding website visitors through processes including:
applying for a permit application
lodging a complaint
making a rate payment online
These agents can also be used internally for service staff to find resources, increasing performance and delivering high quality outcomes for ratepayers.
Streamline administration
AI can significantly reduce the administrative burden on staff. A few example include:
Automate document processing and data entry using optical character recognition (OCR) and machine learning.
AI-driven scheduling and fleet management systems.
Predictive analytics to forecast budget needs and optimise resource allocation.
The digitisation of councils has brought some efficiencies, but also new complexities and data overwhelm. Administration costs in many councils are still ballooning. AI will be the technology that helps councils wade through the vast amounts of collected data and process work efficiently at scale.
Enhance urban planning and development
Urban planning will be revolutionised by AI assisted decision making and modelling. Machine learning algorithms can analyse historical data and predict future development trends, from population to water flow, traffic congestion and more.
Two major uses for AI in planning:
AI-powered Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be implemented for more accurate land-use planning and zoning decisions.
AI-trained regulation bot that assists town planners with building plans and ensures compliance with local regulations. With computer vision, AI can recognise building plans, analyse and review within seconds, not days.
Improve waste management
Waste management is a critical service with many moving parts. AI can be used to learn and predict waste generation patterns and adjust services accordingly. AI-powered sorting systems at recycling facilities could also increase efficiency and reduce contamination.
Some councils have trialled smart bins with sensors that alert collection teams when they're full, optimising collection routes. Adding AI to this process with further aid waste management teams moving about the city without wasting (pun intended) time, fuel and money.
Improve public safety
AI can play a crucial role in maintaining public safety. New technology is emerging to conduct surveillance and ‘predictive policing’ by leveraging algorithms to allocate law enforcement resources more effectively. The jury is still out on the efficacy and ethics of this technology.
Two important use cases for AI in public safety are:
AI-powered video surveillance systems that can detect and alert authorities to potential safety hazards or criminal activities.
Use machine learning to analyse traffic patterns and optimise traffic light timings to reduce congestion and accidents.
Deliver better environmental outcomes
AI can assist councils in their environmental initiatives by deploying AI-powered sensors to monitor air and water quality in real-time. Machine learning algorithms can predict and help mitigate the impacts of natural disasters like bushfires or floods.
AI can be used within electrical systems to optimise energy usage in council buildings and public spaces. This can including routing power between a network of battery storage at council properties.
Data processing and decision making
Local councils collect and manage vast amounts of data from various sources. AI can be leveraged to process this data more efficiently and derive actionable insights to support decision-making processes.
Applications of AI include:
Analysing historical data to forecast future trends e.g. population growth, service demand, and budget requirements.
Machine learning that recognises patterns in large datasets, helping councils detect anomalies in service usage, pinpoint areas requiring attention, or recognise emerging community needs.
Natural Language Processing (NLP) to analyse resident feedback from various channels (e.g., social media, emails, surveys) to gauge public sentiment and identify key issues of concern.
Assist in complex decision-making processes by simulating various scenarios and their potential outcomes, helping council leaders make more informed choices.
As Artificial Intelligence continues to evolve and become more accessible, local governments can leverage this technology to enhance their services and navigate the complexities of local issues with greater accuracy and foresight.
Clear AI is here to help Australian councils navigate the use cases of AI and position themselves as the forefront of smart city innovation, delivering more efficient services to their communities.
Book a call with our team today.
