Bristol City Council Launches ‘Briz’: A 24/7 Digital Assistant for Residents

As their press release describes, Bristol City Council launched “Briz”, a new 24/7 digital assistant, on 21 January 2026.

Available via their web site, Briz is designed to make it quicker and easier for residents to access council services and information.

It provides quick answers to common queries anytime, day or night, handling topics such as:

• Bin collection days and recycling
• Council tax and bill payments
• Housing
• Planning and building regulations
• Parking
• Streets and other services

The assistant is available in two ways:

• Online — via chat on the council’s website at bristol.gov.uk (often referred to as “Ask Briz”)
• By phone — when calling the council’s general phone line, where callers are greeted by Briz for inquiries

It aims to improve access to information and services while routing more complex or urgent matters appropriately. The launch was supported by ICS AI Ltd, and the council promoted it as a helpful tool for residents.

Service Model

Briz primarily handles simple, routine, and common queries instantly—such as those about bin collections, council tax payments, recycling, housing, parking, planning, and similar everyday topics—by providing direct answers or relevant information.

For more complex queries, Briz is designed not to replace human support but to complement it. The system frees up council advisors’ time by managing straightforward questions, allowing staff to prioritize cases that require a personal touch. This includes:

• More intricate or detailed issues
• Situations needing additional support (e.g., residents with disabilities, those who need help using technology, or non-native English speakers)

Here’s how Briz specifically manages complex or difficult queries:

• If Briz understands the question but determines it needs human input: It can automatically pass (escalate or route) the enquiry to a relevant advisor or team member.
• If Briz does not understand the question: It prompts the user to rephrase it (e.g., “try saying it again in a different way”). If it still can’t provide an answer after attempts, it transfers the user (on phone) to the main switchboard to speak directly with an advisor, or (online) it may display a list of relevant services or contact options so the user can get appropriate help.
• No one is left without support—there’s always a fallback to human assistance when needed.

Briz cannot answer personal or highly individualized questions (e.g., those requiring access to specific account details or sensitive case information), and it continues to learn and expand its capabilities over time based on usage and improvements.