Norfolk council to trial AI bots for tax and service enquiries

South Norfolk and Broadland Councils will launch a year-long pilot using AI bots to handle routine enquiries about council tax and local services.

Set to begin in September, the £149,000 trial is a joint initiative designed to streamline customer service and reduce costs. The AI software will handle common questions online and over the phone, such as how to pay council tax, with more complex queries passed to human advisors.

Officers told South Norfolk Council’s cabinet this week that the use of AI was “no longer optional,” highlighting the need to make services more efficient.

While intended to improve satisfaction, some councillors voiced concerns. Conservative councillor Kim Carsok warned the technology could frustrate callers: “I think we all have phoned up a company and had to speak to a computer and didn’t enjoy the experience quite as much as if we were talking to a real person.”

Council officers responded by noting that current satisfaction levels were “quite low” and said the AI agent should reduce the need for residents to search council websites.

The councils will review the pilot's performance before deciding on a permanent rollout. Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.