Richmond Set Goals for AI Call System
The city established a January deadline for its AI assistant to improve performance after struggling to reduce 911 transfers.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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Richmond has mandated that its AI-powered system handle a higher volume of nonemergency inquiries by January 2027. The city, which has spent over $52,000 on the technology, will consider a replacement if performance goals are not met.
Why it matters
The initiative aims to decrease the strain on emergency dispatchers by automating routine inquiries. Improving the system is critical for the city to justify its ongoing investment in the technology.
The city's AI system, which launched in April 2025, has processed approximately 111,000 nonemergency calls. It is currently tasked with managing inquiries for RVA 311, animal control, and general police information.
The players
Richmond
This is the city government currently deploying automated technology to manage nonemergency call volumes.
RVA 311
This is the city's customer service system that handles nonemergency requests and information inquiries from residents.
The details
The AI assistant is designed to retrieve information to resolve caller questions, but it must transfer the call to a live dispatcher when it cannot provide an answer. Despite the investment, the system transferred nearly 81 percent of calls to the 911 center during the last fiscal year.
Timeline
The AI system launched in April 2025.
During the last fiscal year, 81 percent of calls were transferred to 911.
Axios reported on the AI assistant performance in July 2026.
The city disclosed its call-handling goals in September 2026.
The deadline for achieving improved system performance is January 1, 2027.
The Tech Race
This move reflects a broader trend of municipal governments attempting to integrate automated AI agents to handle public inquiries. Richmond's situation highlights the practical challenges of replacing legacy manual dispatch processes with generative or automated software solutions.
Residents contacting RVA 311 or police information lines may experience varying wait times as the city adjusts its automation protocols. If the technology fails to meet performance goals, the city may shift service models by early 2027.
The takeaway
Cities investing in AI often face a learning curve where the technology requires significant refinement before effectively reducing human workloads. Residents should be aware that automated systems may still require human intervention for complex or multi-part inquiries.
What happens next
The city will evaluate the system's performance metrics following the January 1, 2027 deadline to determine if it will be replaced.
Further reading
Learn more about local government tech implementation in the Artificial Intelligence section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Axios.
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