Aucklanders can now use an AI-powered virtual assistant to safely report problems, including graffiti, roaming dogs and party noise.
The Council has deployed a new, purpose-built virtual assistant called Ask Auckland Council.
Residents and visitors can use it to report graffiti, illegal dumping, roaming dogs, missed bin collections, and party/people noise, as well as quickly find information for reporting other problems.
The Council says more problem categories will be added over the coming months. Meanwhile, it is working on speeding up internal processes so that reported problems can get fixed faster.
Ask Auckland Council is an AI assistant which you can access on your smartphone, computer, tablet or any device via a web browser.
“Our customer research and feedback show the current ways of reporting problems can be frustrating and confusing. That’s why this AI assistant was developed,” the Council said in a statement.
“Ask Auckland Council is far more sophisticated than a simple chatbot. As a conversational AI assistant, it can understand everyday language, understand people and place names in te reo Māori, ask follow-up questions, check it’s got the facts right, and quickly analyse a photo of the problem if you upload one.”
In February 2026, the virtual assistant was made available to 1,000 Aucklanders who reflected the demographic of Auckland. Their experience and feedback built on positive findings from an initial pilot with Auckland Council kaimahi, showing that:
- Ask Auckland Council works as intended in real-life situations;
- It’s fast and easy to use – 8 out of 10 users find it easy (80% compared to 42% for existing channels);
- Users find it significantly easier to ‘show’ the problem by uploading a photo compared to trying to describe it in words;
- The assistant’s te reo Māori capability stood out;
- It is safe, secure and reliableIt works well for people with access needs.
Auckland Mayor, Wayne Brown said it was important for council to stay up to speed with using digital tools.
“It’s about using technology to make life easier for people and meet demand for simple, convenient ways to engage with council. AI assistants learn, so Aucklanders can help us make it better for them just by using it,” he said.
Auckland Deputy Mayor, Desley Simpson says the launch marks the culmination of work she initiated with the mayor. “Seeing the idea now brought to life – and working so well for real users – is incredibly pleasing.
“We built this virtual assistant with Aucklanders, for Aucklanders. People told us the old reporting tools were confusing. We listened and worked hard to deliver an AI solution that’s more intuitive, easier and quicker to use, and safe and secure,” she said.
“It’s also simple to access through the website, and you can save it as a web app so it’s right there on your phone whenever you need it. We encourage Aucklanders to add it to their home screen and make it part of their everyday toolkit.”
Find the link on the main Report a problem page on the Auckland Council website or access the assistant directly.
