Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Opportunity Knocking - Alexa as a city info resource

From CBS 46 News on May 15:


CBS46 News


(Link to video.  Or, if you can't see it, remove the "s" from the "https://" in the URL bar and refresh the page.  The video player will appear.)
Anything from current traffic, to zoning information, to the next city council meeting date to job postings.
Nick O'Day, the Chief Data Officer, says not to worry, they are not recording private conversations.
"It's about being able to ask a question and get a real answer right away versus having to call somebody and the city and get passed to a planer or an engineer," says O'Day. " We cannot access their name, their location, their voices, we can't access any of that kind of stuff."

This was brilliant and I had no idea it was possible!

Because it simply responds to questions, Alexa can be used by anyone of any generation.  Even people with some disabilities that make using a phone or computer difficult.  

Alexa can cut down on the number of phone calls to city hall.  Or frustration at the website for users unfamiliar with it.

How about running audio from city council and other meetings?  Or even from the community conversations on development, like the one about Robers Drive this week?

Congrats, Johns Creek!  Dunwoody - will you consider deploying this type of technology to your citizens too?

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