Sumter County updates board on AI for phone service; staff says system handles bulk of routine calls

County staff updated the board on the county's use of AI at its main phone number, reporting that the system resolves many routine inquiries and can absorb surges during emergencies such as sandbag requests. The staff member said the AI provides written summaries, Zendesk tickets and recordings to support quality assurance and that staff can review individual calls when needed.

The presenter said an early deployment handled an emergency spike and enabled callers to get answers without busy signals; staff also acknowledged past issues caused by dropped direct-inward-dial numbers that created call loops, which were corrected. "It's only 64%," the staff member said when asked about the percentage of calls that did not require direct staff handling, and noted the county is working to improve accuracy and the handoff between voice models.

Commissioners asked about the financial return on investment and whether the AI would replace employees; staff stressed the tool is intended to provide capacity and quality assurance rather than to supplant staff, describing the deployment as a cost-avoidance measure in some service areas (animal services was cited as an example where AI handled in-depth FAQs and freed staff for field work).

Staff asked the board and the public to submit feedback on specific failures (for example, when the system does not route correctly to a particular division) so the system can be refined. The board signaled support for continued monitoring and incremental deployment ahead of any broader expansion.

Next steps: continued monitoring, targeted feedback from staff and the public, and consultant updates at future workshops.