The digitization of public administrations has enabled thousands of procedures, ordinances, and processes to be available online. However, access to information remains one of the main challenges for these entities and for citizens themselves.
Although public documentation is available on municipal websites and electronic portals, locating a concrete answer continues to be a complex task for many users. Finding information about a business license, the requirements to install a terrace, the rules for beach use, or available municipal subsidies typically involves navigating multiple sections, consulting lengthy documents, and facing bureaucratic language that is inaccessible to a large portion of the population.
In this context, conversational artificial intelligence is starting to establish itself as a tool capable of transforming the relationship between citizens and local governments. “Digitalization cannot be limited to publishing information on the internet. The real challenge is that anyone can find it, understand it, and use it—regardless of age, language or level of administrative knowledge,” says Gaspar Palmer, CEO of OpenKM.
From Searching Documents to Getting Answers
The main contribution of these systems is to replace traditional search models with a conversational experience. Instead of forcing citizens to know administrative terminology or the internal structure of a municipal website, the technology allows questions to be asked in natural language, as if you were speaking with a public employee.
Queries such as ‘What documentation do I need to open a terrace?’, ‘Can I have a barbecue on this beach?’ or ‘How do I apply for a housing rehabilitation grant?’ can be resolved with direct, concise answers drawn from the city’s official documentation. This shift is especially relevant right now as administrations seek to improve the digital experience for residents without increasing resources devoted to in-person or phone assistance.
A Useful Tool for Residents and Visitors
Multilingual capability is another factor driving interest in these solutions. In tourist towns, a sizable portion of inquiries comes from foreign visitors who are unfamiliar with local regulations and have trouble accessing the information available. The ability to ask questions in multiple languages and receive responses in the same language makes it easier to access relevant information about mobility, use of public spaces, permitted activities, municipal services, or administrative requirements.
“Many of the inquiries an administration receives are straightforward, but they require time and resources to handle. If we can ensure public information is understandable and accessible from the outset, we improve the citizen experience and free up capacity for public employees to focus on higher-value tasks,” explains Gaspar Palmer.
Beyond administrative efficiency, experts highlight the potential of these technologies to reduce some of the barriers that still exist in accessing public services. Older adults, people with limited digital skills, foreign residents, or residents of rural towns may have difficulty locating and interpreting complex administrative information.
Using natural language eliminates part of these barriers by enabling interaction with the administration to be more intuitive and approachable. Additionally, the ability to access information 24/7 from any device helps expand the accessibility of public services without the need for travel or time constraints.
One of the most significant aspects of this new generation of tools is that responses are not based on generic information, but on official documentation previously validated by the administration itself. Technologies such as Smart Search, an AI-powered conversational solution designed by OpenKm so that any citizen can consult municipal documentation using natural language and receive precise, contextualized responses grounded in the official documents of the administration, allow every answer to be backed by ordinances, regulations, files, or public documents, with direct access to the original source for verification.
This approach not only improves the accuracy of the responses but also reinforces transparency and citizens’ trust in the information received.
The growing adoption of artificial intelligence in public administrations points toward a paradigm shift: moving from process-centered models to people-centered models. In this scenario, the success of digital transformation will no longer be measured solely by the number of online procedures but by the ability of administrations to provide information that is understandable, accessible, and useful for all citizens.
“The future of government is about speaking the language of people. When a citizen can get a clear answer to a simple question, technology stops being a barrier and becomes a public service tool,” concludes the OpenKM CEO.
