Inspiration We were inspired by the struggles faced by Bulgarian retirees in accessing pension information. Many elderly individuals lack digital literacy, face financial challenges, and often pay for consultations to understand their eligibility and benefits. The complexity and volume of information online make it challenging for them to apply independently, leading to a high rate of application rejections. BabAI aims to bridge this gap by providing accessible, accurate, and affordable assistance directly on WhatsApp.
What it does BabAI is a WhatsApp chatbot designed to simplify pension applications for Bulgarian retirees. It provides step-by-step guidance on eligibility, document requirements, and application procedures in Bulgarian. Using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and a Pinecone index for quick query resolution, it retrieves accurate information from official pension guidelines, reducing errors and resubmissions. This accessible platform helps retirees avoid costly consultations and access the full benefits they are entitled to.
How we built it We integrated Twilio's WhatsApp API with a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) model, utilizing Hugging Face transformer embeddings to ensure relevant and precise responses. Pinecone Index serves as the storage and retrieval backend, enabling fast and accurate information retrieval. We also used FastAPI to develop the backend service, ensuring a seamless and user-friendly experience on WhatsApp.
Challenges we ran into One major challenge was optimizing the chatbot to handle complex pension queries while keeping responses simple and understandable for elderly users. We also had to ensure that the chatbot’s guidance was compliant with frequently updated official guidelines, requiring a dynamic and adaptable query handling system. Additionally, integrating a language model to work seamlessly in Bulgarian presented unique challenges in fine-tuning.
Accomplishments that we're proud of We’re proud to have created a tool that makes a real difference for Bulgarian retirees, significantly reducing their need for costly consultations. The chatbot’s high accuracy in returning relevant responses has been a big success, and we're proud of our integration of cutting-edge AI techniques in a way that genuinely helps users navigate complex information.
What we learned We learned about the complexities retirees face in accessing pension information and gained insights into creating user-friendly AI solutions for non-tech-savvy audiences. We also honed our skills in RAG and chatbot development for specific, sensitive use cases and improved our ability to adapt language models for nuanced, real-world applications.
What's next for BabAI Next, we plan to expand BabAI’s capabilities by incorporating voice commands for retirees uncomfortable with text, additional language options, and more detailed explanations of specific pension schemes. We also aim to integrate proactive reminders to keep users updated on new guidelines and changes in eligibility. Lastly, we hope to partner with local organizations to increase BabAI’s reach and impact on a national scale.
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