Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has touted AI’s potential to reduce human workforce redundancies. The state has been working with Google to train its workforce on AI, and has even designated a new position to lead on AI adoption. Although AI in medicine has raised some concerns, chatbots are, generally, reshaping government interactions by offering 24/7 service in multiple languages.
The new chatbot, SoonerGuide, is available around the clock in three languages — English, Spanish and Vietnamese — through the SoonerCare Helpline or on the OHCA website. The tool offers information about SoonerCare programs, eligibility, Insure Oklahoma and SoonerSelect.
The tool was trained by crawling OHCA’s website and a content library with relevant information about Medicaid, according to an email from OHCA Public Information Officer Rebecca Sheppard. Officials used Qualtrics call center data to train the AI based on frequently asked questions. The new offering was customized so that questions on specific topics, such as children’s eligibility, will receive specific responses.
The tool has taken about 95,123 voice calls and answered about 308,834 questions since its initial launch, Sheppard said. Officials started its rollout April 6 on the OHCA website, she said, deploying it on phone lines later.
The tool does not review cases, determine eligibility, or offer medical or legal advice, and it will not ask for sensitive information. Instead, it is designed to answer questions such as “What is the income guideline for a family of five?”
The new chatbot is a Contact Center AI Platform by Google, Sheppard said.
AI-powered chatbot interactions are not perfect, but SoonerCare members are always able to choose to speak to a live representative.
The new AI system is expected to reduce the workload of OHCA staff, freeing up time to serve members with more complex needs. Chatbots have been deemed a “necessity” for state and local governments, helping government staff achieve significant time savings.
