DETROIT – Residents across two city council districts in Detroit may notice something different when they call for help with neighborhood issues: the person on the other end of the line isn’t a person at all.
Her name is Emily — and she’s an artificial intelligence-powered customer service agent now helping field service calls in Detroit’s District 3 and District 4.
Emily is part of a pilot program with the city of Detroit’s Department of Neighborhoods, designed to make it faster and easier for residents to report problems and get information at any time of day.
Emily is a real-time AI agent developed by Detroit-based company Believe in AI.
Co-founders Mario Kelly and Gabriel Wilson say she can handle lengthy, complex conversations with callers.
“Emily is a real-time AI agent. She could have a 10 to 40 minute conversation with anyone,” said Kelly.
The system is designed not just to answer basic questions, but to walk residents through issues and help resolve them — much like a human call taker would.
“The idea is to be more efficient, to help resolve any type of issues, answer questions. It’s just been kind of life-changing, some of the impact that Emily has had,” Wilson said.
Right now, residents in Districts 3 and 4 can call in and speak with Emily about a wide range of neighborhood concerns and city services, including:
- Reporting blighted houses
- Reporting abandoned cars
- Reporting downed trees
- Questions about trash pickup
- Finding volunteer opportunities
- Other neighborhood complaints, questions, and service requests typically handled by the Department of Neighborhoods
The goal is to streamline the traditional customer service call process many neighbors are familiar with, while expanding access beyond standard business hours.
District 3 resident Shannon Austin has already tried calling Emily, initially just to see how well it worked.
“I was, more so, just testing it, just to see how it was functioning. And it was one of the most smooth conversations that I’ve experienced from an AI system in general,” Austin shared.
For some users, the biggest benefit is flexibility.
“The process of communicating can be strained at points. Not everybody has the capacity to operate on business hours, if that makes any sense,” said Austin.
Because Emily can take calls 24 hours a day, residents who work late, have multiple jobs, or can’t easily call during typical office hours now have another option.
Staff at the Department of Neighborhoods have been working with Believe in AI and Emily’s system for about two months.
District 3 Manager Kayana Sessoms says city staff can review how the system is working at any time.
They can monitor calls 24/7, access audio recordings, and review call transcripts.
This allows the city to track issues, check the quality and accuracy of Emily’s responses, and continue training and improving the system.
“The efficiency is really something we are excited about continuing to grow and educate people around. Currently right now, we are seeing some positive responses around how the app is being used,” Sessons said.
The Emily pilot is currently available to residents in Detroit City Council Districts 3 and 4. Residents who want to learn more or try the program can contact their Department of Neighborhoods District office or visit www.detroitmi.gov for more information.