Pennsylvania unveils AI updates to its unemployment virtual assistant
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry unveiled several updates to its unemployment compensation virtual assistant, which is powered by artificial intelligence.
Pennsylvania’s upgraded UC Live Chat system features improved responses that feel conversational, and it can now process questions asked by users in natural language for better flow, according to the department. Along with responding to questions about unemployment eligibility, claim status, weekly certifications, payments, direct deposit, overpayments and appeals, the system can also recognize typos, alternate phrasing and incomplete questions and still provide answers, officials said.
The virtual assistant can also pull from previous messages to deliver more relevant and accurate information for contextual awareness, and ask for clarification on unclear or unanswerable questions, the state said.
Officials said the tool will also hand off chats to live representatives when the assistant cannot find a solution.
The system can also add new information to improve responses in real time, using Google’s Dialogflow CX, the company’s platform for building conversational AI agents.
The state pointed out that UC Live Chat uses end-to-end encryption, for privacy. Encryption is always active, giving users peace of mind that their personal information remains secure throughout the conversation, a news release said.
Users can access the virtual assistant by selecting the chat icon on the right side of an unemployment webpage to begin chatting. Live agents are still available during business hours for issues that require additional support.
