The Achterhoek municipality of Montferland sees great potential in the responsible use of AI and algorithms to improve services to citizens. October 14, 2024, the chatbot Montferland AI (Mai) went live. They published the description of the algorithm in the Algorithm Register before that. Mayor Harry de Vries: "This is not an end station for us, but a first step." In conversation with Mayor Harry de Vries, Head of Operations Michael Rave and AI specialist Daniel Verloop of Montferland.
De Vries is proud that his people have taken the initiative to work with AI. "It can make a huge contribution to the services we provide to our residents. And in the end that is what we are all doing it for. We want to do it carefully and keep a close eye on the ethical side. But we do want to take steps forward. The launch of Mai is not an end station for us, but a first step."
The municipality also has a need to get started with AI: Montferland anticipates a labor market shortage due to an aging population, a problem that is also playing out nationwide, says head of operations Michael Rave. "We will soon be looking for people who can no longer be had. Our idea is to use AI to automate some of the work." Rave, Verloop and colleagues wrote a proposal to the City Council and were given a 3-year budget to work with AI. (AI is listed as a strategic theme in the municipal framework memo(link to other website)). That offers room, says Rave, "to pioneer, to play, to find out: where does AI really bring gains in work processes, where is it really going to save people work?" De Vries: "I was nevertheless curious how the council would react to the proposal. That turned out to be no problem: our council recognizes that the municipal organization will run into personnel problems in the coming years. And of course, as a government, we also want to move with the times."
That the subject of AI and algorithms needs administrative attention is really no question for Mayor De Vries. "As a local government, you have to make use of all the possibilities that are out there to make it as easy as possible for your residents," he says. He sees his role as an ambassador and as the one who monitors the balance. "I like to promote it to the outside world, the residents, the council and my own organization. But it is also mainly my responsibility to keep an eye on the balance. To avoid getting into a rat race where we want 'as much as possible, as fast as possible.'" This is extra important for the government, he sees: "As a government we have to be even more careful, otherwise it comes back to us like a boomerang in our face. So I see my role emphatically also on that ethical aspect: what do you do with AI and what don't you do? We talk about that and question each other critically." He gives an example of the boundaries. "We must always keep looking at the person behind the question. Personal contact remains important, especially for people who need help. With the chatbot, we want to free up more time for that." Also, not everyone can or wants to communicate with the municipality via chatbot. "Montferland continues to use the other communication channels, it is emphatically a plus."
"As a government we have to be even more careful, otherwise it will come back in our face like a boomerang. "Mayor de Vries - Municipality of Montferland
Oct. 14, 2024, Mai was launched. Verloop says they still find that quite an exciting step. "In the initial phase, we monitor extra extensively how things are going. We have tested everything extensively and it goes very well, but sometimes Mai makes a mistake. That's why the chatbot indicates at the beginning that it is learning and can make mistakes." The municipality attaches importance to being open: "There are still few examples: it is new for everyone, everyone is still pioneering. The Montferland municipality has a lot of ambition, but at the same time we keep an eye on the safety and ethical aspects. That is why we immediately the descriptions of our algorithms(link to other website) in the Algorithm Register, to show that we want to be transparent about this. In doing so, we are also in line with the philosophy of the new European AI regulation, in which this is very important." Mayor de Vries sees particular benefits from openness: "Questions and critical comments from residents, council members and colleagues keep us on our toes. If you don't start, you won't get those questions. That is a lesson I pass on to fellow administrators: see it as an opportunity. Get proactive, get people involved; get your council and your organization involved. Verloop adds: "You really only learn by doing and being open about it."
"See it as an opportunity. Get proactive, involve people; take your council and your organization with you. "Mayor de Vries - Municipality of Montferland
In the development process of the chatbot, they learned a lot, Rave says." This was a good test case. In such a process, you run into all kinds of things. Getting the governance right is one of the next challenges. It was an eye opener for us that before we start new projects we need all kinds of expertise, for example Legal Affairs." They are working on a template for new projects. "On the front end it has to be clear: who has what role at what time?" A side benefit of developing the chatbot is that the information on the municipal website has been completely updated. A challenge is to keep that information up to date, because the chatbot uses it, Rave says. "The great thing is that all kinds of processes that are not initially related to the bot are also becoming more sharply focused and therefore better."
Montferland is a relatively small municipality with great ambition. However, the size of the municipality also has advantages: "The lines of communication are short here, and our management team doesn't just stop at words, but puts them into action." They enjoy sharing their developments and experiences with other municipalities. "They are free to make use of it. It would be nice if more municipalities worked this way, if we could also use what others have developed. Then this transition will only go faster." They are also keeping a close eye on developments at other municipalities - Rotterdam, Breda and Tilburg. Mayor de Vries concludes with an invitation: "Everyone is welcome in beautiful Montferland, we like to share our experiences. That way we don't all have to start inventing the wheel ourselves."
