harnessing the power of ai

As part of its digital transformation strategy, in 2023, the City embarked on one of its biggest artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives to date, making it the first municipality in Canada to launch an AI-powered building permit digital assistant.

The chatbot, which is supporting property owners, contractors and developers 24/7 at kelowna.ca, can sift through complex bylaw and technical information and quickly provide easy-to-understand answers and guidance on all aspects of the permitting process.

Faced with unprecedented growth alongside the housing crisis, the City’s aim was to reduce the time staff spent answering questions so they could devote more time to processing applications and, ultimately, improve the turnaround time and quality of building permits.

Between its soft launch in October and December 2023, the chatbot managed more than 9,500 questions, with approximately 18 per cent of all chat interactions occurring outside regular work hours, effectively extending the City’s service availability.

The chatbot is one of eight chatbots the City has implemented since 2020, using artificial intelligence to enhance its services and operations. The City chatbots handle 25 to 75 per cent of user inquiries without requiring a staff touchpoint.

The next phase of digital assistants will help users fill out applications and fact check paperwork for customers, opening the door to innovation and the possibility to better serve residents and the community.

Read the 2023 Annual Report to learn more.