AI chatbots already answer residents in Basque and Spanish in town councils across Gipuzkoa. What they handle, how they are launched and what we have learned in Arrasate-Mondragón and Beasain.
Basque town councils face a constant challenge: giving accurate, up-to-date information without adding to the workload of municipal staff. AI chatbots are changing that. They answer at any hour, in Basque and Spanish, using the information the council itself publishes.
What queries a municipal chatbot handles
A municipal chatbot is a virtual assistant on the town council's website. It answers the questions that come up most often at the counter and on the phone. These are the most common:
- Procedures: which documents to bring, where to book an appointment or how to register on the municipal census.
- Opening hours of offices, facilities and municipal services.
- Events and activities in the municipal agenda.
- Social services: which service to go to and how to contact it.
- Licences and document requests, with step-by-step guidance.
What it does not do matters too. The chatbot does not process anything on anyone's behalf and does not make administrative decisions. If the answer is not in the council's information, it says so and refers the person to the right office or channel.
Two cases in Gipuzkoa
Arrasate-Mondragón
Arrasate-Mondragón Town Council has a bilingual chatbot, in Basque and Spanish, developed by Lagunbot IA. It answers questions about procedures, office hours, municipal events and social services. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It has been on the council's website since July 2025.
Calls to the citizen service phone line about basic queries have dropped considerably. This lets the human team focus on the cases that genuinely need personal attention. The project features in an article by Grupo SPRI about Lagunbot, published in January 2026. You will find the details in the Arrasate-Mondragón case study.
Beasain
The municipality of Beasain launched Loinatz, its virtual assistant, to manage municipal information. It answers questions about procedures, services and the agenda, in Basque and Spanish. Its knowledge base is updated whenever the information changes, without touching the rest of the assistant. That way residents always get current information.
In Beasain we learned that keeping information up to date matters as much as building the assistant. The municipal agenda changes every month, and the assistant has to change with it. More in the Beasain case study.
Why it works so well in the Basque context
- Most resident queries repeat. An AI can answer them well if the municipal information is organised and up to date.
- Serving people in Basque and Spanish with the same quality makes the difference in the Basque Country.
- Round-the-clock availability adapts the administration to the real rhythm of residents' lives.
- Query reports show which services need more public information.
Basque deserves a separate note. A chatbot that translates from Spanish gets declensions wrong, along with the official names of streets and services. That is why we design the assistant in Basque from the start, as we explain in Basque-language chatbot.
How it is launched
- Free 30-minute diagnostic with the municipal team: what the assistant should answer and what it should not.
- Preparation of the knowledge base from the website, procedures, opening hours and agenda.
- Testing in Basque and Spanish with real questions, starting with Basque.
- Publication on the council's website and, if agreed, on WhatsApp.
- Monthly follow-up: we review what people ask and adjust the content.
The full process is described in how we work. It also explains what the monthly follow-up involves.
What the town council needs
- A point person who knows the services and validates the answers.
- The information the assistant must handle: website, procedures, opening hours and agenda.
- Access to install the chat on the council's website.
Common mistakes
- Loading the website as it is, with outdated or contradictory pages. The assistant repeats what it reads.
- Testing only in Spanish and discovering the failures in Basque after publication.
- Forgetting the agenda. Announcing an activity that has already happened erodes trust.
How it is measured
Every month we review the conversations. We look at which topics keep coming up, which questions went unanswered and which information needs reinforcing. That report also helps the council improve its public information.
Frequently asked questions
How does a town council procure a chatbot?
Through the procedures set by public procurement law: a minor contract or a tender, depending on the case. Beforehand, in a free diagnostic, we define with the municipal team what the assistant should answer. We also agree which channels it runs on and with what information. That scope is what the contract then reflects.
Does the chatbot answer equally well in Basque?
Yes, we design it in Basque from the start, not as a translation from Spanish. It replies in the language it is written to and switches if the person switches. Before launch we test it in both languages with real questions. We start with Basque, which is where a poorly prepared assistant fails most.
What happens when an opening time or a procedure changes?
The knowledge base is updated and the assistant answers with the new version, with nothing to rebuild. In the monthly follow-up we also review the agenda and seasonal changes. This stops the chatbot from giving information that is no longer valid. It is the mistake that erodes trust in a municipal assistant the most.
Does your town council want something similar?
The full service is described in chatbot for town councils. If you also want to cover the phone, see our voice agents in Basque and Spanish. For any questions, write to us from the contact page.