Residents who call Derby City Council will now be greeted by an improved, and more inclusive telephone version of its digital helper Darcie.

Introduced in 2023 to handle customer service queries more efficiently, Darcie has undergone a significant behind-the-scenes transformation and can now do more than just give standard answers.

Powered by the latest generative AI technology, Darcie can understand more complex questions and hold more natural conversations, offering a smoother and more human-like experience when answering queries.

Built using advanced machine learning models, Darcie continues to improve over time and continues to learn every time the digital helper is asked a question.

Darcie can now answer adult social care queries for the first time, as well as giving more enhanced responses on a range of Council services such as bin collections, planning applications, fostering, and registration services.

The latest telephone upgrade is part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to using technology to improve the lives of the people of Derby and build a smarter, more sustainable city.

It follows improvements to the online version of Darcie earlier this year, when residents were invited to test the digital helper and share their feedback. Results were overwhelmingly positive, with 73% of respondents reporting satisfaction with their experience.

Ron, 75, who tested improved Darcie said:

I had no problem using Darcie. It was very intuitive—whether using the voice function or typing out questions. I got answers to everything I asked, and if Darcie didn’t know something, she explained where I could find further information. I found it very, very useful in that sense.

I’m not the most experienced person in using IT, so I was a bit apprehensive.  But I decided to give it a go, and I was very pleasantly surprised.

Available 24/7 via phone and the Council website, Darcie ensures that residents can access information and support at any time, including evenings, weekends, and public holidays and without having to wait in a call queue. Residents can still choose to speak to a human advisor during normal office hours for more complex needs.

Councillor Hardyal Dhindsa, Cabinet Member for Digital and Organisational Transformation at Derby City Council said:

Darcie places Derby City Council at the forefront of using generative AI in local government. The Council is one of the first in the country to apply this advanced technology in such a practical way - helping residents get quick, accurate answers to everyday questions.

The changes are designed to make it even easier for residents to get the help they need quickly and efficiently—especially outside normal office hours.

Darcie is a smart, evolving tool that plays an important role in helping residents get the right information, in the right way, at the right time.

Darcie was introduced by the Council in 2023, alongside Ali, who manages housing enquiries for Derby Homes. Between them, the digital helpers have handled over 2 million enquiries since launch, resolving 44% of cases without the need for staff input, allowing frontline teams to focus on customers who need more than a simple response.

Since the upgrade was launched on 20 May, the Council has seen an 84% reduction in calls to the switchboard during peak times, with 57% of customer queries now being responded to directly by Darcie (the remainder are dealt with by a human advisor).

Both web and phone versions of Darcie have been upgraded to support nine of the most widely spoken languages in Derby, after English based on Council data - Arabic, Czech, Pashto, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Slovak, Somali, and Urdu. Each language has a dedicated phone number.

In June, the Council’s adult learning service (DALS) will launch an online course introducing residents to artificial intelligence and offering tips on how to make the most of Darcie and similar tools.