Singapore government beta testing new chatbot to make official information more accessible

Finding government information can sometimes be “hard work”, with various agencies involved, the GovTech and PSD joint statement said.

“We wanted to make that simpler. Now there is one place where members of public can ask questions in everyday language, and in any of our four official languages, and get clear answers drawn from official sources,” said the statement.

ServiceSG, which describes itself as a “first-stop concierge” to help citizens access relevant government services across multiple agencies, directs the strategy and creation of the chatbot, while GovTech Singapore builds and runs the technology.

The chatbot uses tools that the government already has in place as well as commercial AI services, and pulls information from official websites while including source links for users.

When the questions are complicated or personal, however, a real conversation is still needed, said GovTech and PSD.

“What the chatbot does well is handle many of the common questions that come in every day. That gives public officers more time — time to listen properly, to understand what someone actually needs, and to give the personal support that only a person can,” they said.