The Municipality of Gabrovo has introduced a new AI-based chatbot assistant, now available on the municipality’s official website and currently operating in test mode. The intelligent assistant was developed as part of the Test-Before-Invest service provided by the European Digital Innovation Hub AI-EDIH (EDIH).

The chatbot has been created to help citizens obtain information about the administrative services offered by the Municipality of Gabrovo and to make access to useful and up-to-date information related to municipal activities easier. In addition to topics related to services and administrative procedures, the assistant can also answer questions about events, weather, and other publicly relevant information.

The technological solution is based on Google’s latest generation large language model – Gemini 3.0 and uses modern AI technologies for natural language processing and understanding. This allows citizens to ask questions in a simple and intuitive way, without needing to manually search through different sections of the website.

What Are AI-Based Assistants and How Do They Help?

Chatbots are intelligent software assistants that communicate with users in a natural conversational format. They use artificial intelligence to understand questions and provide fast, accurate, and helpful answers.

For citizens, this means:

• Easier access to information

• Faster navigation through municipal services

• The ability to receive answers at any time

• More convenient communication with the administration through a digital channel

In this way, chatbots support both citizens and the administration by improving service delivery, saving time, and facilitating access to public information.

Testing Period and Future Development

At the current stage, the chatbot is in its initial version and has been deployed on the Municipality of Gabrovo website – https://gabrovo.bg. The assistant will be gradually upgraded and improved. New information will be added, algorithms and models will be refined, and the system will evolve based on user feedback. The testing period will help optimize its performance and improve the quality of the responses provided.

The development of the AI chatbot for the Municipality of Gabrovo is part of the broader activities of AI-EDIH, which aims to implement intelligent digital solutions in the public sector. The hub is currently developing similar AI-based assistants for five additional municipalities in the North Central Region, which are expected to become operational for the benefit of citizens in 2026.

With this initiative, the Municipality of Gabrovo takes another step toward more modern, accessible, and efficient digital services for its citizens.