Chongqing - In March, Chongqing's Dadukou District launched the city's inaugural "AI Digital Intelligence Grid-Man" in Chunhuilu Sub-District, offering residents fast and easy access to community services and information.

Chunhuilu Sub-District, covering four square kilometers with 130,000 residents, uses a grid management system, which organizes and administers residential areas for improved governance, social management, and public services. Each 300-500 household sector is a grid, each with a dedicated grid-man.

In response to residents' demands for accurate service and improved grid management efficiency, Chunhuilu introduced artificial intelligence (AI) large language modeling (LLM) technology, along with voice recognition technology, for research and development, ultimately launching the AI Grid-Man. 

This innovative assistant supports the 116 offline gridmen, enhancing their ability to manage community tasks efficiently and improving quality.

"When I open the 'Yuxiaodu Digital Intelligence Grid-Man' app, the AI Grid-Man appears on the homepage: a lifelike figure dressed in a suit," said Huang Zonghua, secretary of the Party and Labour Committee of Chunhuilu Sub-District.

Huang told a story about how a gold shop in Chunhuilu Sub-District caused a noise disturbance on March 16. A resident reported it via the "Yuxiaodu Digital Intelligence Grid-Man" app. Almost instantly, a full-time offline grid-man received the message and promptly contacted the shop’s owner. The resident received feedback within a minute: "I have negotiated with the owner, and he will reduce the sound volume."

The AI Grid-Man offers six interactive services: consultation, problem reporting, data collection, manual assistance, household reminders, and mobilization. It facilitates addressing and obtaining feedback on important issues like property management, environmental cleanliness, and emergencies that concern residents.

Since its public beta testing a month ago, the app has provided 2,351 consultations to 3,745 users, received 15 after-action feedbacks, and has been used 24,300 times.

"We have structured AI Grid-Man with a digital knowledge base of policy documents, introductions, and government affairs matters," Huang explained. "This assistant, after three months of simulation training, can already answer users' high-frequency questions and provide in-depth policy advice."

The AI Grid-Man automatically identifies complaint types through resident dialogue and assigns the generated problem form to the relevant department, requiring only resident confirmation. This streamlines the process by eliminating manual steps like recording, categorizing, and coordinating with departments.

Furthermore, the AI Grid-Man assists users with simple tasks such as health insurance or social security applications. It automatically generates the appropriate forms, specifies required materials, and provides guidance on filling out the forms, minimizing errors.

Also, residents can easily switch to manual assistance if they are unsatisfied with the AI Grid-Man's handling. This approach reduces grid-man's workload, allowing them to concentrate on complex and personalized issues.

Chunhuilu Sub-District will enhance user-friendliness and personalization through smart inspections and grid work circles.

"We are trying to develop a voice interaction function that recognizes dialects to make the experience more complete for the elderly," Huang said. "Residents engage with AI Grid-Man when they sense a human touch in the service, allowing us to grasp their needs in conflicts and address issues promptly."

(Deng Yawen, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)