3 ways AI kiosks are rewriting the civic engagement playbook
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COMMENTARY | From public service to public access, intelligent self-service kiosk are emerging as a way to expand access without adding extra burdens on residents and staff.
Across the country, public agencies face a common challenge: how to deliver vital services equitably in the face of limited resources, rising expectations, and increasingly diverse populations.
Traditional government service models — centralized, bureaucratic, and often paper-based — struggle to keep pace with the needs of rural residents, multilingual communities and military families, whose mobility and time constraints demand flexibility.
But a new generation of civic infrastructure is beginning to take shape, one that blends artificial intelligence with physical access points in the communities that need them most. Intelligent self-service kiosks are emerging as a practical tool for expanding access to justice and other essential services, without adding administrative burden or requiring residents to navigate unfamiliar digital portals at home.
El Paso County, Texas, offers one compelling case study. In June 2024, the County launched a network of AI-enabled kiosks that allow residents to complete court-related tasks, from submitting forms and payments to accessing legal guidance, in both English and Spanish. The kiosks are placed in strategic community locations, including the Tigua Indian Reservation and Fort Bliss, enabling access where it's needed most.
Three lessons from this rollout may prove instructive for government leaders elsewhere:
1. Meet People Where They Are…Literally
Too often, civic access depends on residents coming to centralized locations during limited hours. For working families, rural residents and military personnel, that model simply doesn’t work.
Placing kiosks in trusted, high-traffic locations like base welcome centers or community annexes removes that barrier and affirms a simple principle: access shouldn’t be an ordeal.
At Fort Bliss, for example, the kiosk allows service members to fulfill court-related obligations without taking leave or leaving the base at all. In just one month, nearly 500 military residents used the kiosk. Meanwhile, over 670 transactions have been completed on the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (also known as the Tigua Indian Reservation), where access to public transportation is a challenge.
2. Design for Inclusion, Not Just Efficiency
While technology can streamline service delivery, it can also unintentionally exclude those with limited digital literacy or English proficiency. Multilingual A.I. interfaces and accessible user flows are both technical features and equity enablers.
In El Paso County, 20% of kiosk interactions have occurred in Spanish. This uptake highlights the importance of designing systems that reflect the communities they serve, rather than assuming one-size-fits-all access.
3. Think Beyond Digitization and Aim for Democratization
Many digital transformation efforts focus on moving services online, but that shift often leaves behind those without broadband, personal devices, or comfort with navigating complex websites. By embedding smart kiosks in the public realm, governments can provide digital tools without requiring digital privilege.
Moreover, these tools can reduce workload for front-line staff by automating routine transactions, freeing up human workers to focus on complex or high-touch cases. In that way, technology doesn't replace the human element, it protects and supports it.
The El Paso County model is not the first of its kind, but its thoughtful implementation across geographically and demographically diverse communities offers a replicable roadmap. Other jurisdictions from Miami to Ottawa County, Michigan are piloting similar solutions tailored to local needs.
Ultimately, the path forward isn’t about flashy tech or buzzwords. It’s about pragmatism. It’s about recognizing that trust in government is built not through rhetoric but through responsiveness, and that sometimes, responsiveness looks like a kiosk in a community center that speaks your language and knows what you need.
For public officials considering a similar approach, the advice is simple: start with the barriers your residents face, then work backward. Let inclusion, not efficiency, guide your design. And remember that innovation in public service doesn’t always mean moving faster. Sometimes, it means stopping to ask who’s still being left behind.
Pritesh Bhavsar is the founding technology leader at Advanced Robot Solutions.