Thousands ask questions about work-related problems every day on their phones, Community Law Centres says
Workbot, a chatbot to answer employment-law questions, has been launched by Community Law Centres o Aotearoa.
Launched this week in partnership with Citizen AI, the chatbot gives workers information about their rights and responsibilities as employees through a conversation format and in language that’s easy to understand. Workbot can be access through Facebook Messenger at http://m.me/workbot.nz or online at https://workbot.nz/.
“Thousands of people across the country are asking questions about employment law on their smartphones every day,” said Sue Moroney, Community Law Centres o Aotearoa chief executive. “Workbot is a fantastic response to this need and part of the future of access to justice in Aotearoa.”
Workbot was made possible by the support of the Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation. Rentbot, the first of three chatbots funded by the foundation, went live last year and has already helped with nearly 20,000 questions about tenancy, Community Law Centres o Aotearoa said.
“We believe everyone should enjoy the protection and opportunity that the law provides. The chatbots make it easy to access free, accurate legal information – essential to helping people understand and access their rights. We were excited to support this innovative work,” said Michelle Wanwimolruk, chief philanthropic officer for the foundation.
Geoffrey Roberts, executive director of Citizen AI, the charitable organisation using AI to advance public interests, said that Workbot is a great example of how to leverage advances in natural language processing to create a tool that helps people experiencing problems in the workplace.
“This project also takes our technology a step further by including a case assessment feature that helps people understand employment law and how it relates to common problems at work. Workbot can help tackle the types of problems many people face as an employee and is available for a chat 24/7,” he said.
