Ansan City Develops 26-Language AI Service for Foreign Residents

Ansan City is set to launch an innovative AI-driven administrative service designed to assist its significant foreign resident population by supporting 26 different languages. This initiative aims to dismantle language barriers and ensure that non-Korean speakers can access essential administrative information and services more easily.

The project, officially kicked off with a report and collaboration meeting at Ansan City Hall, focuses on applying retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) technology. This advanced AI approach will be built upon a foundation of more than 100,000 consultation cases involving foreign residents, ensuring the service is informed by real-world needs and queries.

Ansan City is home to over 105,340 foreign residents as of June, making it the municipality with the largest foreign-born population in South Korea. The city was also recognized as an intercultural city by the Council of Europe in February 2020, the first in the nation and second in Asia to receive this designation.

Mayor Lee Min-geun stated, "As a representative intercultural city of Korea, Ansan City is promoting administrative service improvements using digital technology to ensure foreign residents can access necessary administrative services without language restrictions." He added, "Through this project, we will present a new model for foreign administrative services utilizing AI technology and implement administration that residents can truly feel."

The AI service will be accessible through conversational AI (chatbots) and self-service kiosks, providing foreign residents with the administrative information they require in their preferred language. This move underscores Ansan's commitment to inclusivity and leveraging technology to serve its diverse community effectively.