[Special Planning] Suwon City's Close-to-Life Artificial Intelligence Administrative Services... 'Changing Citizens' Lives!'

Artificial intelligence is the trend today. The economy, society, and politics cannot discuss the future without artificial intelligence. Generative AI services that have entered daily life, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity, have become increasingly diverse. Many people very frequently search for information using artificial intelligence and create necessary outputs. But that's not all. In Suwon City, the day when citizens experience urban life with artificial intelligence applied is approaching. Soon, artificial intelligence will find potholes, patrol parks, send electronic bills tailored to payers' preferences, and serve as a living administrative assistant. It's not far off. These are changes that will unfold before our eyes within six months.

◇Finding and Managing Potholes Faster Than Citizens!

Starting from early next year, Suwon City will detect road potholes using artificial intelligence around the clock. This is because the city plans to build and use an intelligent pothole detection platform that analyzes images using artificial intelligence.

To this end, Suwon City has been promoting the 'Intelligent Pothole Detection Platform Construction Project' since May. The platform to be built by the end of this year focuses on processing pothole-related information swiftly and accurately.

Artificial intelligence will automatically detect potholes by utilizing images from closed-circuit televisions on roads in Suwon and cameras mounted on detection vehicles. Additionally, the platform will visualize occurrence status and risk levels on maps and introduce functions to comprehensively manage processing status.

Once the pothole detection platform is introduced, Suwon City will be able to manage potholes on roads more quickly and effectively. Unlike the existing method that mainly relied on reports and vehicle driving, artificial intelligence can analyze images and detect potholes rapidly. By utilizing artificial intelligence, there is high expectation that the city will be able to manage potholes more efficiently on Suwon's roads totaling 951 kilometers in length, surpassing the limitations of limited personnel and equipment.

◇Nighttime Park Safety Protected by Autonomous Patrol Robots!

Starting from the end of this year, autonomous patrol robots will be deployed at night in Hyowon Park, located in Paldal-gu, Suwon City. By utilizing artificial intelligence to minimize physical blind spots during times when safety management is vulnerable, the city will create a park environment where visitors can feel more secure.

Since June, Suwon City has been promoting the 'Introduction of Artificial Intelligence Autonomous Patrol Robots for Creating Reassuring Parks for Suwon Citizens' project. This is a demonstration service that was successfully selected in a competition for artificial intelligence robot demonstration projects (service sector) hosted by the Korea Robot Industry Promotion Association and will be introduced with 100 million won in state funding.

The service is based on four-legged walking artificial intelligence robots patrolling Hyowon Park during nighttime hours. The robots independently patrol major walking trails, plazas, and sports facilities without blind spots and detect unusual situations. When robots detect anomalies, they immediately alert relevant agencies. Damaged facilities are reported to the park management department, fallen people or fires are reported to the fire department, and assaults or fights are reported to the police station.

Suwon City will deploy robots at the site from the end of the year and operate demonstration processes. Subsequently, the city plans to use artificial intelligence patrol robots for three years and examine the possibility of expanding to other parks based on demonstration results.

◇'Saebit Bot,' A Living Information Assistant for Citizens, Launches!

Starting from the end of the year, citizens will be able to use an artificial intelligence-based administrative service on the Suwon City website that finds and provides information tailored specifically to them. A chatbot service that easily conveys necessary living and administrative information will be introduced, allowing citizens to use it conveniently anytime like a personal administrative assistant.

Suwon City is building a 'Generative Artificial Intelligence Chatbot Service for Suwon City Website' with a service launch target for December. The chatbot's name is 'Saebit Bot (tentative name).' Beyond the method of searching by keywords to find necessary information, when citizens ask questions, the chatbot will understand intent and context, structure them, and provide logical answers.

To achieve this, generative artificial intelligence will learn the vast information available on the Suwon City website. Based on an analysis of website usage last year, 10 key fields with high interest are the main learning scope. This includes bulletin boards such as city news, job information, information portal, Suwon tourism, and events and festivals. A high-performance artificial intelligence model with strong Korean language comprehension will learn the information and provide explanations in a user-friendly manner.

In particular, in addition to Korean, the service will support multilingual communication in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese, making it easy for foreign residents to use the service as well. Based on this, Suwon City plans to confirm the performance of the service that finds information needed by users and then expand it to other website areas.

◇Personalized Electronic Bills Sent at the Right Time and Channel When They're Best Reviewed!

Various bills that arrive from time to time will be upgraded to be sent at the optimal time and channel by analyzing user characteristics and viewing patterns. Starting from the end of this year, when Suwon City's 'AI-Based Customized Mobile Electronic Bill Enhancement Project,' which has been underway since June, is completed, payment notices will be delivered as personalized services.

Suwon City started a mobile electronic bill service in November 2024 and is providing 33 types of bill and notice services. Examples include payment notices for delinquent local taxes and automobile taxes, and fines for dedicated lane or parking violations. The service is achieving the effect of allowing citizens to conveniently check bills and reducing postal shipping costs.

To further advance electronic bills, Suwon City will build an artificial intelligence-based predictive model engine. Artificial intelligence will analyze past data on sending, viewing, and payment history to recommend the optimal billing method and timing for each individual. The structure will be organized to increase the reach rate of electronic bills by dividing resending stages according to follow-up actions after viewing.

Additionally, the city plans to provide electronic bill methods such as large text, mobile voice, and foreign languages for digitally vulnerable groups and expand beyond Kakao to Naver to strengthen citizen accessibility.

◇Preserving Precious Cultural Heritage with Artificial Intelligence!

Artificial intelligence is also being utilized in safely managing and preserving Suwon Hwaseong, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and Suwon's treasure. The city has built a 'Smart Automatic Monitoring System of 3D Digital Twin Images for Disaster Prevention and Crime Control' across the entire Suwon Hwaseong area.

This system manages risks by linking disaster safety infrastructure in a virtual space (digital twin) that replicates Suwon Hwaseong exactly. Using artificial intelligence image analysis technology, the system intuitively detects various risk factors such as unauthorized intrusions, fires, falls, and crowding. Managers who quickly identify precise locations in the virtual space can judge and respond to on-site situations in real time.

The fortress walls of Jangan Gate are also managed with precision. The city additionally introduces inclinometers, vibration meters, and thermal cameras to detect minute changes early and automatically broadcast warnings at the site if an unexpected safety accident occurs.

The disaster safety network utilizing artificial intelligence is also being applied to Suwon's major infrastructure. Artificial intelligence image and electronic olfactory systems have been introduced at Suwon Delta Plex, an urban industrial complex, to create an early detection system for fires and disasters, and firefighting robots are being deployed for initial response at the Suwon Resource Recycling Center.

Lee Jae-joon, Mayor of Suwon Special City, said, "Suwon will become an innovative city that remarkably implements citizens' daily lives and safety through artificial intelligence," and added, "Suwon will establish a new standard for artificial intelligence in Korea by creating a city where AI permeates life."