AI Messaging Service Developed for Unpaid Carers
Gloucestershire County Council has launched an artificial intelligence-powered messaging service designed to help unpaid carers access information and support at any time of the day.
The new service, called Ask Grace, operates through WhatsApp, allowing carers to ask questions in their own words and receive tailored responses. The AI chatbot provides quick access to trusted local information and signposts users to relevant support services without requiring them to search multiple websites.
According to the council, the tool was developed in collaboration with unpaid carers to ensure it meets their everyday needs.
Councillor Dr Kate Usmar, Cabinet Member for Adults’ Support and Independence at Gloucestershire County Council, said:
“We know unpaid carers do so much, often with little time to find the support that’s right for them.”
She added that the service was created with carers to ensure it is:
“simple, useful and can genuinely make a difference”.
Usmar explained that Ask Grace is intended to save carers time by providing quick access to trusted information and local services, reducing the need to search online or make multiple phone calls.
She also noted that the platform had been tested with carers and local partners to ensure it was:
“easy to use, practical and responsive to real-life needs”.
Highlighting the growing role of artificial intelligence in public services, Usmar said:
“have to embrace AI”
while stressing that safeguarding had been a key priority throughout the development process.
She emphasised that although the tool uses AI and is:
“safe to use”,
users are advised not to enter personal information.
“Just ask a question. Don’t say who you are. It is locked down and searches information from about 60 websites,” she said.
Usmar added that the chatbot only retrieves information from verified sources.
“It’s not going right the way out there into the world – it’s going to trusted sources. So it’s as safe as we can possibly get it,” she said.
The project is being funded through a UK government grant and is expected to cost approximately £28,000 over two years.
Michelle Blakely of MB Consultancy, a trusted adviser to the health and social care sector in Gloucestershire, welcomed the initiative, saying it could help carers:
“feel more confident, less isolated and better equipped”.
However, she cautioned that artificial intelligence should complement – not replace – human support.
“An app can provide information and signposting, but it can’t replace professional advice, compassion or personal judgement,” she said.
