Let LLMs Do the Talking? Generative AI Issues in Government Chatbots

Dec 14, 2023 ·

The use of generative AI, or language models, in government chatbots is an increasingly popular way for federal agencies to engage with the public. Generative AI allows government chatbots to generate coherent responses to inquiries based on a database of prior conversations and natural language processing algorithms. The technology is being used by many government agencies to provide customer service, answer basic questions, and provide general information to citizens.

Though the widespread adoption of generative AI in government chatbots can be beneficial, there are some issues that need to be considered before its full implementation. One issue is accuracy—how accurate is the response generated by a generative AI-powered chatbot? Another issue is trust—can people trust the information provided by a generative AI-powered chatbot? Finally, there is the issue of privacy—are sensitive data points collected and stored by the chatbot?

To ensure accuracy, it is important to perform regular testing to assess whether the generated response is correct. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the AI-powered chatbot is properly trained on relevant datasets so that it can better recognize user input and produce more accurate responses.

From a trust perspective, it is important to make sure that the AI-powered chatbot is not biased. It is also important to make sure that users feel comfortable interacting with the AI-powered chatbot and trusting the information provided. To help build trust, it is essential to provide clear terms of use and transparent policies about how data is collected and used.

Finally, from a privacy standpoint, it is important to ensure that sensitive data points are not collected or stored by the chatbot. Any data collected should adhere to relevant laws and regulations. Additionally, it is important to ensure that users' data is kept secure and private.

Overall, the use of generative AI in government chatbots has the potential to greatly improve engagement between the public and government agencies. However, there are several issues that must be addressed before its full implementation, such as accuracy, trust, and privacy. By taking steps to address these issues, government agencies can ensure that their AI-powered chatbots are providing accurate and trustworthy information while respecting the privacy of their users.