The Estonian Government is engaging international technology experts to help develop its artificial intelligence (AI) based virtual assistant, Bürokratt.
In what it is calling a world first for the public sector, Bürokratt is to allow citizens to apply for benefits, make payments, register a birth, file taxes, renew a passport and access other Government services through Siri-like voice-based interaction.
It is expected offer personalised information based on the user’s data and proactively contact citizens to remind them that an action is required ahead of time.
Former Government Chief Information Officer, Siim Sikkut said AI-based tools like Bürokratt would provide citizens with seamless and integrated services tailored to their individual needs and life events.
“The user experience will not rely on citizens having the appropriate digital skills to be able to operate interfaces such as apps or websites, but will operate through the most intuitive form of communication — the voice,” Mr Sikkut said.
As well as making citizens’ lives easier, Bürokratt aims to save millions of euros in administrative costs.
The digital assistant, which is accessible via common devices such as mobile phones, tablets or laptops, was first announced in March 2020 and is now being implemented after successful beta testing in 2021.
It will go live later this year.
As part of the next step of development, the Baltic nation is calling on software developers and data scientists, analysts and architects from countries belonging to the World Trade Organisation to apply to be part of the project.
It is particularly interested in those who specialise in language technology and machine learning.
Estonia is recognised for being a digital-first country, with its e-Estonia approach embracing technology in areas such as banking, education and voting.
Tallinn. 28 July 2022
