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An analytics expert's interest in artificial intelligence, a popular public art display, and a conference on advanced software have led to the introduction of a new feature on the Economic Development website in Covington, Kentucky. The site now includes a chatbot named Clive, modeled after a 30-foot fiberglass alien.
Clive is designed to assist users by answering questions about opening businesses, finding commercial properties, incentives, and permits. The chatbot can communicate in both English and Spanish.
Susan Smith, the City's Business Attraction Manager, explained the motivation behind this development: “The convenience factor is the main reason we created this. We want to be more customer-service oriented.” She emphasized that while the chatbot aids in quickly finding information across their comprehensive website, human interaction remains available through phone, email, and in-person services.
Smith noted that during an International Economic Development Council conference she learned only about 4 percent of economic development organizations' websites utilize chatbots. This prompted discussions with Todd Sink, Covington’s Manager of Analytics and Intelligence. Sink has been interested in AI for some time and had been testing chatbots' effectiveness.
“I’ve always wanted to find a way or ways to use at least some form of artificial intelligence to enhance public service,” Sink stated. He saw this as an opportunity to begin integrating AI into their services.
Sink chose Clive's face for the chatbot identity to reflect Economic Development's unique character. Executive Assistant Carolann Baughman was enlisted for graphic creation while Sink customized Clive’s personality through software training.
“Ask Clive the chatbot what his favorite movie is,” Sink suggested humorously. With references to current IT trends and James Cameron’s films, he hinted at an amusing response from Clive.
