"The program, called CityAssist, is powered by Citibot, a company headquartered in Charleston, S.C., is aimed at helping residents get answers 24/7, according to a statement from the city. Go to https://www.paloalto.gov/Home and the link to the chatbot should appear on the bottom right side of the screen. The chatbot is able to help users figure out how to pay utility bills or submit public records act requests, but may still need to learn somethings about civics."
""In Palo Alto, the city manager is responsible for providing strategic leadership and professional management to the city government organization. The city manager works with the city council to develop and implement policies to maintain and enhance Palo Alto's quality of life. The current city manager is Ed Shikada. You can find more information about the City Manager's Office and their responsibilities on the City Manager's page.""
Palo Alto deployed an AI chatbot called CityAssist on the city website, powered by Citibot, to provide residents 24/7 assistance. The chatbot appears as a link on the homepage and can guide users on paying utility bills and submitting public records act requests. The chatbot showed limits in civic knowledge: it described the city manager's responsibilities and named Ed Shikada but did not state that the council hires and fires the manager or that the council is elected. The chatbot correctly explained that the mayor has no traditional boss and is accountable to residents while the city manager reports to the council. City officials have used AI to research and draft council reports, including compiling lists of consultant contracts and brainstorming consultant-management practices.
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