AI system launched to aid diaspora engagements

Persons now have the opportunity to engage with the Diaspora Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation around the clock, with the introduction of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) agent.

The innovative programme was officially launched during a media event on Wednesday at the Ramphal House, Georgetown.

Head of the Diaspora Unit, Rosalinda Rasul, highlighted that the re-establishment of the unit has sparked heightened interest among Guyanese in contributing to various sectors of the economy.

Therefore, the unit has experienced a surge in inquiries and requests from citizens. The introduction of the AI agent aims to streamline and reduce the workload associated with responding to these demands.

“We thought in having the AI doing a lot of the work for us in terms of communication with the diaspora, that will take a lot of work and time off of my staff who can now focus on some of the more substantive duties and responsibilities that they have,”said Rasul.

In the first phase of the project, the unit focused on the topical issues and most frequently asked questions received by the diaspora based on their interest in Guyana. The content is gathered checked, and then fed to the AI agent.

Data pertaining to integral services such as remigration, housing, investments, documents, and the National Insurance Scheme will be provided to individuals on request.

Additionally, members of the diaspora will be able to easily access document information from the banking sector, Guyana Elections Commission (GEC), Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), General Registrar Office (GRO), the Immigration Support Service Agency and the Passport Office.

The implementation of the AI agent aims to remove the issue of misleading information being circulated.

Chief Executive Officer of V75 Inc and creator of the AI system ‘Jessie’, Eldon Marks, shared that the virtual assistant can speak 17 languages and can comprehend Creole.

“Jessie is there 24/7, she is infinitely scalable. She can chat with a multitude of individuals simultaneously and still maintain that focus on that conversation per individual. So, it’s pretty impressive stuff that we have available to us and there is a lot more to expect,” he underscored.

Marks noted that phase two of the project seeks to further enhance the system’s process and do significantly more.

The AI agent will be available globally in a week.