United StatesPublic sector2018 – ongoingUnited Way Worldwide
CARLA disaster-assistance chatbot for 211
United Way used IBM's CARLA chatbot to answer disaster questions during Hurricane Michael
Problem
Hurricanes increased demand for 211 assistance. Residents needed prompt information about evacuation and emergency resources during these surges.
Approach
United Way worked with IBM to supplement 211 services with CARLA, an AI chatbot supplied at no cost. During Hurricane Michael in 2018, it answered questions in English and Spanish. Requests included shelter locations and emergency food.
Results
No published figures
Takeaway
CARLA added a channel for disaster information alongside existing 211 services. United Way did not report chatbot-specific response times or resolution rates.
Categories
- Industry
- Public sector
- Business function
- Customer service
- Innovation type
- Process innovation
- AI technology
- Conversational and voice AI
- Adoption
- Partner co-development
- Evidence
- Company's own claim
Sources
Source summaries
United Way reported using IBM's CARLA chatbot during Hurricane Michael in 2018. It described bilingual answers to disaster-related questions, without disclosing chatbot-specific usage or performance figures.
Full details are in the original sources.