Covington’s ‘Clive’ the Alien takes on new role as Economic Development Department chatbot – User-generated content

Covington's 'Clive' the Alien takes on new role as Economic Development Department chatbot  User-generated content

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Nov 9, 2024 - 16:30 Updated: Nov 11, 2024 - 11:01
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Covington’s ‘Clive’ the Alien takes on new role as Economic Development Department chatbot – User-generated content

Analytics Guy’s Fascination with Artificial Intelligence

The recent convergence of three elements in The Cov has led to the unveiling of a new feature on Covington’s Economic Development website. This feature is a helpful chatbot named Clive (the Alien), which is designed to quickly answer questions related to various topics.

Clive’s Features

  • Converses in both English and Spanish
  • Accessible on the bottom right corner of Economic Development’s website
  • Provides information on opening a business in Covington, finding available commercial property, incentives, and required permits

Enhancing Customer Service

The main reason for creating Clive is to improve convenience and customer service. While the chatbot does not replace human interaction, it helps people find information and answers more quickly, as these are spread throughout the comprehensive website.

Low Adoption of Chatbot Potential

At a recent International Economic Development Council conference, it was revealed that only about 4 percent of economic development organizations’ websites were utilizing the potential of chatbots. This inspired Susan Smith, the City’s Business Attraction Manager, to explore the idea further.

Combining Interests

During discussions with Todd Sink, Covington’s Manager of Analytics and Intelligence, Smith discovered his fascination with artificial intelligence and his ongoing tests on the effectiveness of chatbots. This led to the creation of Clive.

Clive’s Identity

Clive’s identity was chosen to reflect Economic Development’s irreverent approach and quirky character. The face of Clive is based on the 3D alien displayed on the side of the Mid-town Parking Garage at Fifth and Scott streets.

Personality and Customization

Executive Assistant Carolann Baughman created the graphics for Clive, and Todd Sink “trained” the chatbot by feeding it information for its answers. Sink also customized the software and gave Clive a personality.

Future Possibilities

Clive’s introduction is just the beginning of utilizing artificial intelligence to enhance public service. Sink envisions further advancements and possibilities in this field.

City of Covington

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

1. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending.
  • Indicator: The use of a chatbot featuring artificial intelligence technology on the Economic Development website of Covington demonstrates the city’s efforts to enhance technological capabilities and innovation in their economic development sector.

2. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  • Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
  • Indicator: The use of a chatbot on the Economic Development website of Covington can contribute to the preservation and promotion of the city’s cultural heritage by providing information about the city’s history, landmarks, and attractions.

3. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
  • Indicator: The collaboration between Covington’s Economic Development department and the Manager of Analytics and Intelligence in developing the chatbot reflects the city’s efforts to foster partnerships and utilize innovative technologies for public service.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs Targets Indicators
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending. The use of a chatbot featuring artificial intelligence technology on the Economic Development website of Covington demonstrates the city’s efforts to enhance technological capabilities and innovation in their economic development sector.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage. The use of a chatbot on the Economic Development website of Covington can contribute to the preservation and promotion of the city’s cultural heritage by providing information about the city’s history, landmarks, and attractions.
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. The collaboration between Covington’s Economic Development department and the Manager of Analytics and Intelligence in developing the chatbot reflects the city’s efforts to foster partnerships and utilize innovative technologies for public service.

Source: nkytribune.com