Digitisation and Artificial Intelligence improve democratic participation
Interview with Dr. Dimitris Alexandrou, Co-Founder of UBITECH in grtraveller
The co-founder of Ubitech, the company that develops tools that make life easier for Greek citizens, most recently the new digital assistant service, mAigov, talks to grtraveller about the design of such applications and how new technologies and artificial intelligence can affect our lives.
Left: Dr. Panagiotis Gouvas, Research & Development Director, Centre: Dr. Dimitris Alexandrou, Business Innovation Director, Right: Thanasis Bouras, Research Strategy Director
How do you think new technologies and artificial intelligence can improve citizens’ lives?
New technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to significantly improve the lives of citizens in a country through various ways, since they have the power to positively affect several aspects of their daily lives.
AI can improve the quality of healthcare through diagnostic support and personalised treatment, reducing costs and improving access to health for all. Technology platforms and AI applications can provide tailored learning based on the needs and pace of each learner, improving the learning experience and efficiency. AI can help predict and manage natural disasters, monitor pollution and improve the management of natural resources, contributing to environmental protection and sustainable development. Automation and AI can increase productivity, create new job opportunities in technological sectors and improve efficiency in various industries. AI systems can improve citizen security through more effective surveillance and emergency response, as well as promote social cohesion through platforms that enhance communication and access to social services. Digitalisation and AI can make government services more efficient, transparent and accessible to citizens, improving democratic participation and trust in public authorities.
What are the main factors you consider when designing a service such as mAigov;
When designing a service such as mAigov that will address all Greek citizens, the factors that influence the architecture and technological choices are diverse. Indicatively, we can mention some of them, such as Greek language management, service scaling, Knowledge management and scalability and interoperability. The management of the Greek language was one of the most important challenges. Greek is one of the most difficult languages in the world. This led to a series of options for processing mAigov’s data in real time, so that the citizen receives the best natural language answers from the chatbot. Another big challenge we had to deal with was the load that the chatbot would receive from an entire country. Both the infrastructure and the software had to be able to handle the demand for answers. Our choices were right and at the moment mAigov has been working continuously for 3 months without any problems. A solution like mAigov, must be distinguished by the speed of information and the information provided to the citizen in an environment that changes daily. The task, therefore, was to inform mAigov about the content in which he is asked to search for information. In this context, the necessary infrastructure was implemented so that the digital assistant can be informed about the new services that are introduced in gov.gr and the services that are abolished. Scalability and interoperability are a key requirement of a solution like mAigov. We are already moving towards mAigov 2.0 with the goal of allowing the chatbot to issue certificates on our behalf. A necessary component of such a solution is interoperability with third party systems in order to enable the issuance of certificates and their delivery to the citizen’s mailbox in the gov.gr app.
In what ways have technological developments, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, affected travel experiences and service delivery?
The rapid evolution of AI in tourism can offer new opportunities and create ways for further innovation, transforming travel experiences into something more personal and enjoyable. The development of AI has brought about significant changes in the travel and hospitality sector, improving the overall experience and service offering in multiple ways, such as personalised travel experiences by analysing large volumes of data to create personalised recommendations. Travel platforms can use AI algorithms to recommend hotels, flights, experiences and restaurants that match the end user’s preferences and search and travel history. Automated customer service, as virtual assistants provide 24/7 traveler service, answering questions, making reservations and offering real-time assistance. Ο automated control and management, through AI systems that can help automate processes such as hotel check-ins/outs, security checks at airports, optimising the traveller’s experience, and analysis of emotions and evaluations, since AI algorithms can analyse traveller reviews and feedback and provide tourism businesses with valuable data on customer satisfaction and areas for improvement.
What are your predictions for the evolution of AI in the coming years and how is your company preparing to cope with these changes?
Technology is evolving rapidly worldwide. Conditions change around us every day. Developments are even more rapid in the field of Artificial Intelligence, as it seems to be the next technological milestone for humanity after the emergence of the Internet. AI is now part of our everyday life. The tools that are now provided to developers are robust and have great power in terms of producing reliable solutions. The IT sector is undergoing a cosmogony. It is certain that in the coming years new specialties will be created in the field of AI-related activities. UBITECH is actively involved in these developments. Through mAigov it plays a central role in the field of AI, but also at European level, as its expertise has attracted the interest of several countries wishing to embark on the journey into the AI era.
