Ask Elby!
From November 7 to December 6, 2024, the City of Long Beach ran an AI-powered virtual assistant, "Ask Elby!" This beta version of the chatbot was available on the City of Long Beach website for 30 days. Our goal with "Ask Elby!" was to enhance the user experience by providing quick and easy access to information and resources directly from the website. During the initial 30-day trial period, the chatbot supported only English queries. This project is currently under evaluation for permanent implementation.
Project History:
As part of the 2023 Smart City Challenge, the Technology & Innovation Department (TID) sought ways to leverage AI in making the City's website more accessible for users. Through this process, we selected Citibot from responses to our challenge-based request for proposals (RFP). We conducted initial testing with ten resident participants to get feedback from a diverse range of perspectives. Participants found the chatbot to be efficient and easy to use, but recommended improvements to visibility and feedback modules. Launching a large-scale beta test version of the chatbot further assisted us in improving the chatbot and gaining valuable insights and feedback regarding the product's functionalities.
Thank you for helping us shape the future of digital services in Long Beach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ask Elby! is a beta AI-powered virtual assistant designed to provide quick and accurate information about various city services and resources in Long Beach.
Ask Elby! Isn't quite ready for a full public launch yet, so we have launched a beta version for 30 days for you to try out.
Elby is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot powered by Citibot, an advanced generative AI platform. Elby is programmed with specific knowledge pertaining to the City of Long Beach. Her knowledge is derived from the City of Long Beach’s website knowledge. A human customer representative can answer a wide variety of questions, understand your need in a more detailed way, provide specific instructions and are able to connect you to experts in each department of the City of Long Beach.
To speak with a City of Long Beach representative, please visit https://www.longbeach.gov/whodoicall/ for a list of Long Beach Contact Phone numbers.
Elby’s knowledge is derived from City of Long Beach’s website. Elby can read, translate, and respond to your questions and provide the best answer using Artificial Intelligence.
You can access Ask Elby! by visiting www.longbeach.gov and clicking on the Ask Elby! icon in the lower-right corner.
Ask Elby! uses the information on the longbeach.gov website to provide information about city services, including city-sponsored meetings and events, trash collection, parking, permitting and more. You can ask things like, “How do I order a new recycle bin?” or “Where is the closest library?”
Yes, Ask Elby! Is available online 24/7, ensuring you can get the information you need at any time.
While Ask Elby! is programmed to provide general information, it can offer some personalized guidance based on a user's specific inquiries. Ask Elby! can also answer follow up questions based on initial answers. For security reasons, Ask Elby! cannot access personal information or accounts.
There is no limit to the number of questions you can ask Elby. Feel free to ask as many questions as you need to get the information you're looking for. The more questions you ask, the smarter Ask Elby! gets. Keep asking more questions!
Ask Elby! is equipped to handle a wide range of questions, but for complex or specific inquiries, it may direct you to the appropriate phone number or resource for further assistance.
Ask Elby’s capabilities are regularly updated based on user interactions and feedback. This ensures that it remains a reliable and efficient resource for accessing city services in Long Beach! You can also provide feedback on Elby by filling out this form!
During this initial 30-day trial period, the chatbot will support English; however, it will support Spanish, Tagalog, and Khmer once we permanently deploy it to production.
Artificial intelligence is the science of making machines that can think like humans. This technology can process large amounts of data in unique ways, aiming to recognize patterns, make decisions, and demonstrate human-like judgment. Elby uses AI to understand and respond in natural language, providing human-like conversations.
Elby will never ask you for personal information. Elby does not store any information besides what is in the conversation. Please do not provide any personal or sensitive information to Elby.
Elby is not able to dial phone numbers. Any phone numbers provided by Elby should be dialed from your phone.
Elby is available on any internet browser, and many devices including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers.
Elby is unable to assist you with emergencies! If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency that requires Police/Fire/Ambulance, please dial 911. If you are unable to dial 911, you may text 911 immediately using the below steps.
- Enter 911 in the “To” line.
- Enter a brief message that includes the location of the emergency and type of service needed – police, fire, or ambulance.
- Click send.
- Respond to questions from the responding 911 specialist and follow the instructions they provide.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental-health or suicide crisis, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
