Community AI Agents: Bridging Service Access Gaps

As communities grow more diverse, the complexity of accessing government and social services increases. Many residents lack the time, knowledge, or digital skills to navigate these systems. The advent of AI agents, which are 'virtual coworkers' that can act autonomously to execute tasks, interact with both humans and systems, and adapt in real time offers a tremendous opportunity to support the community such as in accessing government services. For example, imagine an AI agent that not only tells you where the nearest food bank is but also books a slot, sends reminders, and connects you with volunteers that can answer your questions on the food bank service.

This challenge invites participants to build Agentic AI agents that act as personal community assistants for identifying needs, finding solutions, and executing tasks. The solution should demonstrate autonomy, adaptability, and inclusivity, ensuring it works for digitally excluded populations.

Guiding questions include:
- How can Agentic AI agents proactively identify community needs and connect residents to relevant government or local services without requiring complex user input?
- What strategies can ensure these AI agents are inclusive and accessible for people with low digital literacy, language barriers, or disabilities?
- How can the AI agent autonomously perform multi-step tasks (e.g., booking appointments, filling forms, sending reminders) while maintaining user trust, security, and data privacy?
- What mechanisms can be implemented for the AI agent to continuously learn and adapt to changing community needs and service availability?
- How can the solution foster social cohesion beyond just providing information—by encouraging engagement, collaboration, and mutual support within the community?

You are expected to deliver:
- A specific proposal that addresses how AI can make government and community services more accessible
- A detailed model or plan that integrates AI to improve services. Ensure the plan addresses ethical, privacy, and trust concerns while being practical and caters for digitally excluded groups (e.g., elderly, migrants, low-income households)
- Specific examples or simulations to illustrate the effectiveness and potential impact of your proposed solutions. Demonstrate how your solution can be scaled or adapted to different public sector contexts
- A presentation summarising your solution