Problem / Objective

In the early months of the pandemic, India, like other countries around the world, was facing a steep increase in cases of COVID-19. By late May, more than 154,000 people had contracted the virus. But as the country confronted the challenge of the pandemic, it also sought to curb the spread of rumours. To fight the so-called infodemic, the Indian Government wanted to proactively help its people find accurate information that would better prepare them for the crisis and empower them to reduce their risk of contracting the virus. The Government sought easy-to-use, efficient tools that could keep pace with evolving guidance about COVID-19.

Solution / Approach

The Government of India’s Digital India Corporation (MyGov) sought to equip its 1.3 billion citizens with a responsible AI tool that provides accurate and useful information on the pandemic. Working together with Accenture and Microsoft, MyGov moved fast to develop an AI-powered virtual agent in days. Referred to as MyGov Saathi (meaning “companion” in Hindi), the agent harnesses the capabilities of Microsoft’s Power Virtual Agent and Azure.  

MyGov Saathi was embedded on the ‘self4society’ microsite of MyGov. This persona-based chatbot was tuned to provide customised answers for queries relevant to farmers, migrants, senior citizens, frontline workers and other citizens alike so they all adopt behaviours that minimise transmission and exposure to the coronavirus. As guidance changes, the agent is updated with the most recent data on COVID-19, ensuring the very latest information is available to users.

Impact / Implementation 

MyGov Saathi is available on online platforms, including MyGov.in, WhatsApp and Facebook. By managing interactions automatically, this virtual agent freed up human experts to focus on the most urgent and complex situations. The AI agent addressed frequently asked questions, with users able to retrieve answers from a menu of options easily. The agent also delivered fact sheets, information on government initiatives, professional and medical advice, and alerts and lists of myth busters to dispel false alarms. MyGov Saathi can handle up to 300,000 users per day and 20,000 concurrent users per minute.

Source: Accenture

Image from MyGov