Artificial intelligence has taken a new role in Hungarian public administration with the introduction of the country’s first municipal chatbot, HALI, launched on Saturday in Vonyarcvashegy. The event was attended by Minister for Public Administration and Regional Development Tibor Navracsics, who emphasized that AI will play an increasingly important part in administrative services.
Navracsics recalled that digitalization has steadily expanded across Hungarian territorial administration in recent years. Citizens can already book appointments and handle an increasing number of matters online at government offices. The ongoing Digital Citizenship programme aims to further simplify these processes and expand the range of services available digitally.
He described HALI’s launch as a major step forward for both municipalities and regional administration. ‘This is not only a technological milestone but also a turning point in the relationship between the state and citizens,’ the minister said.
The Vonyarcvashegy chatbot allows residents and visitors to obtain basic information and handle routine administrative inquiries without having to visit the local office in person. Through their computers, users can now contact the municipal customer service digitally. Navracsics expressed hope that more municipalities would soon adopt similar AI-based solutions.
The minister also highlighted other ongoing AI pilot projects supported by his ministry, including programmes that assist notaries in recording municipal council meeting minutes. These tools, he said, can significantly reduce administrative workload for local government staff.
‘The most important goal for both municipalities and territorial administration is to make communication with citizens more modern, faster, smoother, and more convenient,’ Navracsics added.
Vonyarcvashegy’s mayor Róbert Pali underlined that effective communication is a key priority for the municipality. Beyond its local newspaper, social media platforms, and in-person customer service, the town now relies on AI to deliver accurate, up-to-date information quickly and reliably.
Through the municipal website, HALI currently provides information in 32 languages, making all publicly available local data easily and quickly accessible to both residents and visitors.
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