City authorities introduce AI-powered assistants at the Foreigners Department for smooth operations

In a significant move towards digitalization, the city administration of Dormagen has put into operation an Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistant in its Foreigners' Office. This AI solution, developed in collaboration with a local developer, is set to accelerate procedural reviews and improve service quality.

The aim of the AI assistant is to streamline processes, relieve employees, and provide citizens with faster service. It serves solely as a supporting tool in the verification process, making the processing of specific requests and tasks more efficient and legally secure.

The Foreigners' Office uses the ordinance database of the federal and state governments to access ordinances, administrative regulations, and legal provisions in foreigner law. With around 8,000 documents that need to be regularly updated and adapted, the AI assistant is designed to help automatically integrate these multitudes of federal and state ordinances into the decision-making process.

Fritz Bezold, First Deputy Mayor, hails this initiative as an important step in Dormagen's digitalization strategy. He believes that the project is a testament to the city administration's claim to be a digital pioneer within municipal administration.

Thomas Hegenbarth, Chief Digital Officer, notes that the project's success could lead to the use of similar technologies in other specialist areas. The total cost for development and hardware is approximately 45,500 euros, with 100 percent state funding covering these costs.

It is important to note that the control and final decision in the Foreigners' Office still remains with the employees. The AI assistant is not intended to replace human judgement but to aid and assist in the decision-making process.

This AI solution, noticeably accelerating procedural checks and improving service quality in the Foreigners' Office, is expected to benefit other administrations in North Rhine-Westphalia and beyond. The city administration's AI initiative is a significant stride towards modernizing public services and improving efficiency.