To help residents navigate fragmented municipal websites efficiently, governments across the United States are gradually introducing AI virtual assistants. Users can ask questions in natural language and receive conversational answers, accompanied by information links and resource location maps.

Maricopa County, Arizona (covering Phoenix and Scottsdale), has launched a virtual assistant named Mari, which is powered byagentic AI. Residents can ask Mari questions on any county government website, and the system will guide them to the correct department. This means users do not need to visit the Animal Care and Control website specifically to search for adoptable pets—one of Mari's high-frequency queries. The tool can extract data across websites.

"This is really about helping residents navigate in a federated environment like ours," said Aaron Judy, Maricopa County's Director of Innovation and Emerging Technology. "Users may not know which department handles what... We want to eliminate that cognitive burden."

When a question is better suited for a city-level rather than county-level department, the tool can also guide users to the appropriate government agency.

In Washington, D.C., the generative AI tool DC Compass (located on theOpen Data DC portal) helps users find, analyze, understand, and share civic data by filtering through up to 1,000 datasets. The tool also partners with geospatial information services company Esri to generate maps, giving it a "show and tell" capability, according to D.C. Chief Technology Officer Stephen Miller. For example, users can ask "Where are the ballot drop boxes?" and the answer comes with a map.

"In the past, you had to know where the information was," Miller said. "Compass turns complex manual tasks into something convenient and conversational, providing narrative answers. Users don't need a background in data science or data analysis."

Under a directive from Mayor Muriel Bowser, D.C. agencies are required toupdate datain the portal annually. Therefore, DC Compass only uses vetted, trusted data, Miller said.

Users often search for information about the D.C. park system and green spaces, crime, and school district boundaries. At a more community level, people frequently look up public transit, property assessments, and dining options, he said.

City service departments also use DC Compass. D.C. data analysts once monitored information related to the IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix for emergency services, Miller said. "A person can only handle a few tasks at a time," he said. "Other members of the emergency operations group can now use the tool to help identify, analyze—whether spatial or non-spatial data—retrieve, and explain."

The District's goal is to empower employees and residents with analytical capabilities so they can "access data they didn't know was accessible without going through hoops," Miller said. "This creates a unified experience for everyone, putting them on equal footing with data."