MONTEREY COUNTY — The County of Monterey has officially launched its first-ever virtual assistant and chatbot, Bixby, following a successful beta phase that began in March.
“The next time you need to do business online with the County of Monterey’s Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office, you may get help from Bixby the chatbot,” said Maia Carroll, the County’s public information officer. “Bixby is the County of Monterey’s first-ever virtual assistant and chatbot. Powered by AI, Bixby can provide information on a wide range of subjects in dozens of languages.”
According to a County announcement July 17, Bixby is now fully tested and operational, and is ready to assist residents and businesses that do business with the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office.
Named in honor of the iconic Bixby Bridge in Big Sur, Bixby symbolizes “connection and seamless navigation,” stated the County. As a virtual assistant and chatbot, Bixby can guide users through information and tasks with ease and reliability.
Bixby has a friendly and approachable personality, making it a helpful navigator that encourages users to ask questions and provides information on various topics. It’s an adaptable companion that adjusts its tone and approach to suit the user’s preferences and needs, prioritizing accuracy and reliability.
As a knowledgeable guide, Bixby leverages extensive resources from the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s website to provide valuable information. It can also assist with various tasks and excels in natural language processing, making conversations seamless in 70 different languages.
Bixby was created with the vision of embodying the spirit of Bixby Bridge — a structure that stands strong, connects people and offers breathtaking views. The chatbot aims to emulate these qualities by “providing a reliable and enjoyable conversational experience,” according to the County.
Even Bixby’s avatar incorporates elements of the bridge, visually connecting the chatbot to its namesake.
“Innovation is at the heart of what we do here in the County,” said Mary Zeeb, the County of Monterey’s elected Treasurer-Tax Collector. “Bixby represents a significant step forward in how we serve our community, providing easy access to information and assistance. We are excited to see how Bixby will enhance the user experience and help us serve our customers better.”
Residents and businesses can experience the future of customer service by visiting the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s website (countyofmonterey.gov/government/departments-i-z/treasurer-tax-collector) and interacting with Bixby.
The County also has plans to expand this innovation to other departments that have external customer interactions in an effort to provide services more efficiently.
