Cyprus Government Unveils AI-Powered "Digital Assistant" on Gov.cy

The Republic of Cyprus has introduced its first AI-powered “Digital Assistant” on the official government website, gov.cy. The innovative tool is now live and accessible to the public.

The purpose of the “Digital Assistant” is to streamline communication between citizens and the government while offering round-the-clock access to information on various topics. Users can ask questions in both Greek and English, and Greek characters can also be used to type queries.

Currently in its beta phase, the assistant is focused on addressing queries related to social insurance services. Over time, new categories will be added to enhance the platform's capabilities and expand its coverage.

As an artificial intelligence-based system, the Digital Assistant is designed to evolve and improve continuously. It learns and adapts through user interactions, allowing it to better cater to citizens' needs.

"Citizens can ask questions either in written or spoken form, and the 'Digital Assistant' will respond in a clear, simple, and friendly manner to ensure an optimal user experience," the official statement explained.

The assistant provides answers to general questions without requiring any personal information, such as the user's name, age, or address. Each session is capped at a maximum duration of five minutes to ensure efficient interaction.

Built on Microsoft Azure OpenAI technologies, the Digital Assistant adheres to the Microsoft Responsible AI Standard, which emphasizes transparency, fairness, and respect for user privacy. It also complies with GDPR requirements for data protection.

The tool’s knowledge base has been developed using official documents issued by government agencies and departments, ensuring its responses are based on up-to-date and accurate information.

"We would like to remind users that interacting with the Digital Assistant is not equivalent to speaking with a human. The assistant is designed for informational purposes only, and its responses should not be considered as official recommendations or opinions from government authorities," the developers emphasized.