NARA, Apr 14 (News On Japan) - Nara City has unveiled the results of its efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into municipal operations, aiming to address labor shortages and better respond to increasingly diverse citizen needs.
The city established a dedicated AI department in 2025 to promote the use of the technology across its services, and since then has focused on applying AI to routine administrative tasks such as document preparation and welfare-related operations, reducing working hours by approximately 17,200 hours in the second half of the previous fiscal year.
As part of its public services, Nara introduced an AI-powered chatbot on its official website in August last year, enabling 24-hour responses to citizen inquiries, and by the end of last month the system had handled more than 30,000 questions.
Since last month, the city has also implemented AI-driven automated responses at its call center, where the system analyzes the content of inquiries and provides answers via automated voice based on information from the city’s website, helping to streamline operations.
Looking ahead, Nara plans to expand the use of AI in consultation services by having the technology take notes and summarize discussions, allowing staff to reduce administrative workloads and focus more on direct engagement with residents, while also using AI to assist in creating staff shift schedules.
The city aims to delegate routine tasks to AI while enabling employees to prioritize on-the-ground interactions and communication, ultimately seeking to maximize the quality of care provided to its citizens.
Source: 奈良テレビNEWS
