Buenos Aires Enhances Public Services with AI-Powered Chatbot

Buenos Aires has implemented 'Boti,' an AI-powered chatbot integrated with WhatsApp, to make city services more accessible and efficient. Designed to handle a wide range of resident inquiries—from healthcare appointments to urban mobility information—Boti uses natural language processing to provide fast, relevant answers and direct support. The chatbot plays a growing role in streamlining public service delivery in one of Latin America’s largest cities.

Key Facts

• Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Sector: Public Services / Citizen Engagement
• AI Application: Generative AI, Natural Language Processing (NLP), conversational interface
• Technologies Used: AI, WhatsApp integration, Botmaker platform
• Technology Partner(s): Botmaker
• Timeline: Launched in 2019; ongoing upgrades
• Lead Stakeholder: Buenos Aires City Government
• User Engagement: 3 to 4.5 million conversations per month
• Project Name: Boti

Project Context

Before Boti, city residents often faced long wait times and inefficient communication channels when trying to access services or information. To address this, Buenos Aires developed a digital assistant that could be deployed on WhatsApp—the most commonly used messaging platform in Argentina. The goal was to improve accessibility and reduce friction across a wide range of public services, especially for users who are more comfortable with mobile-first communication.

The chatbot’s development was led by the Buenos Aires city government, working with the platform provider Botmaker. Since its launch, Boti has grown from a basic query-response system into a robust conversational AI capable of handling dozens of service categories.

Implementation

Boti uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to interpret and respond to user questions. Residents can type freely in Spanish (and now English), and Boti responds with structured answers, options, or links to services. The AI is trained to recognize and categorize inquiries into domains like:

Most interactions are fully automated, but if needed, Boti can escalate the conversation to a live human agent within the city’s 147 hotline services. The chatbot is also used for proactive notifications, such as sending reminders for expiring licenses or providing weather alerts.

Impact

Boti has significantly improved how residents interact with the city. The platform now handles over 2 million conversations per month, with engagement peaking at more than 4.5 million during key public campaigns. Roughly 82% of conversations are resolved automatically without human intervention.

In 2023, Buenos Aires began integrating generative AI features to enhance Boti’s capabilities, allowing for more natural conversations and expanding multilingual support. The city has also positioned Boti as a digital tourism guide, helping visitors navigate transportation, cultural landmarks, and neighborhood activities in English.

Why It Matters

Boti illustrates how AI can make city services more human, not less. By meeting people where they are—on their phones, using language they naturally use—Buenos Aires has made government more responsive, more scalable, and more personal. The project shows that AI doesn’t just support back-end operations—it can become the face of government, building trust through everyday usefulness.

Sources

Botmaker: https://botmaker.com/en/clients/boti-caba-bot

World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/07/generative-ai-smart-cities/

Viva Technology: https://vivatechnology.com/news/city-management-and-ai-how-the-everyday-is-changing