Dell Technologies and the city of Amarillo have unveiled ambitious plans to create an innovative online digital assistant leveraging generative AI (GenAI) technology. This digital assistant aims to empower residents with comprehensive information about government and city services, enhancing citizen engagement and accessibility.
The city of Amarillo will harness the capabilities of this cutting-edge digital assistant to address common inquiries from citizens and visitors regarding various topics, including park facilities, waste management, and other non-emergency information. Website visitors will have the convenience of asking questions in multiple languages and receiving instant and relevant responses.
Richard Gagnon, Chief Information Officer for the city of Amarillo, articulated the initiative’s purpose, stating, “Our goal is to build a connected and engaged community that can foster a more prosperous future for the citizens of Amarillo. The AI tools we develop with Dell help create more effective government in the digital age and give us new tools to improve civic engagement and outcomes.”
This collaborative endeavor builds upon Dell’s existing partnership with the city of Amarillo, which includes previous digital initiatives such as establishing the IT foundation for a virtual call center supporting remote public-health clinics and enhancing emergency response times through analytics. The introduction of this AI-driven digital assistant marks another significant step towards leveraging technology for the betterment of the city’s residents.
Dr. Alexander Keller, Chief Technology Officer for Services at Dell Technologies, commented on the collaboration, stating, “Dell Technologies is well positioned to help customers and organizations worldwide bring AI to their data and improve access to important information. Our collaboration with the city of Amarillo will provide its residents with an accessible, interactive, and multi-lingual digital solution that quickly guides them to the resources they need.”
The digital assistant will be crafted with the city’s unique identity, tone of voice, and localized knowledge to effectively address common citizen inquiries. It will utilize Dell PowerEdge R760xa servers, known for their versatility in handling AI, machine learning, deep learning, and training and inferencing applications. These servers will enable the rendering of the digital assistant’s on-screen image and the efficient management of data within the city’s expansive language models and GenAI applications.
The Amarillo City Council granted approval for this transformative project in August, with the digital assistant slated to become available to Amarillo residents in early 2024. Furthermore, this innovative solution is poised to serve as a model for other applications within the community, including educational use and government staff support, further solidifying Amarillo’s commitment to technological advancement and improved citizen services.
