Published
Update
Video length: 3 min
Technology: artificial intelligence increasingly present in society
Technology: artificial intelligence increasingly present in society – (France 2)
In this commune of Yvelines, receptionists no longer have to deal with the most traditional requests, which are filtered and taken care of by a robot which costs the municipality 100 euros per month.
The town hall of Plaisir (Yvelines) receives nearly 400 calls per day, but for some time now, the operators have no longer been overwhelmed. They owe this development to Optimus, an artificial intelligence programmed to respond to a certain type of request: simple and repetitive questions, such as passport renewal, which cluttered the switchboard and which the robot now takes care of. All for a cost of 100 euros per month for the town hall.
Although it has advantages, this new virtual switchboard does not convince all residents. “We are used to being in contact with real people and it’s true that, for a town hall, that’s surprising”estimates one of them. “I was late for an appointment and I wanted to warn him, but he didn’t understand”, says another. As for Ewa Dudka, receptionist at the town hall, she believes that, “on certain issues, there will always be a need to have a natural person, for the moment”. She is not afraid of being replaced tomorrow. “Maybe the day after tomorrow”she jokes.
