NEW YORK, NY — Sullivan County’s helpful chatbot “Saige” made an appearance at a Google AI conference recently.

Dan Hust, Sullivan County’s director of communications, presented a panel discussion on using AI in government. He introduced Saige as an innovative application for the public good.

Saige was developed by Hust and Andrew McCabe, the director of Application Development and Support, to provide information to taxpayers as quickly and automatically as possible. Within four months of its debut, Saige reduced the county clerk’s phone call volume by nearly two-thirds. 

Hust shared examples of how AI is helping the county better understand what information people are seeking and how to provide that information as quickly as possible. He emphasized that the county is not using AI to replace staff but to complement and support them. 

He said many attendees were impressed with Sullivan County’s decision to implement AI before virtually any other similarly-sized municipality in the nation. 

Hust encourages the public to ask questions of Saige and provide feedback, which will help the chatbot learn and improve. To try out Saige, visit the county’s website and click on the dialog box in the lower right-hand of the screen.

Google’s Public Sector GenAI Live + Labs conference was held February 28 in New York City.