Meeting new expectations

Like every other municipality, Moss has felt the pressure from citizens who expect more than ever. People are used to quick, smart answers from services like ChatGPT—and now they expect the same from their local government.

– Residents simply expect us to answer the question they ask—no matter how they phrase it.

Anastasia Dyrkorn
Web Manager, Moss municipality

And the challenge isn’t new. National surveys show that one in three people struggle to understand texts from the public sector. Complex jargon and misplaced information often make it harder than it needs to be. 

Moss came to the same conclusion: if more people are going to find and understand the information online, something had to change.

So when the chance came to make search smarter with AI, they didn’t hesitate! 

From keywords to conversations

For web editors, the shift has been nothing short of dramatic.

– We’ve been so used to working with keywords and metadata that moving to a solution where users can simply ask questions in natural language has been a real game-changer, Anastasia explains.

In the past, editors spent hours second-guessing search terms and stuffing in keywords to boost hit rates. That’s now history.

– We don’t hear complaints anymore about people not finding what they’re looking for. The search is intuitive — it understands what users actually mean.

Anastasia Dyrkorn
Web Manager, Moss municipality

– We can’t live without it!

At the citizen service desk—where phones ring, chats pop up, and people drop by in person—the change has been dramatic.

– The last feedback we got was: ‘We can’t live without it.’ And honestly, neither can we, Anastasia says.

Now, residents find what they need even if they misspell, use everyday language, or don’t know the exact term.

–If someone just types ‘fine,’ the search may be unsure what they mean. But add just a few more words and it nails it—serving up links that are spot on.

And while AI does the heavy lifting, the web editors aren’t out of the loop: 

– We can still fine-tune, add terms, prioritize links, and the result is already so much better than what we could offer before.

A tool for the future

For Anastasia, the lesson is clear: don’t wait for technology to be perfect, be part of shaping it. 

That’s why Moss jumped on AI search from day one.

– Sure, we could have waited to see if it got better on its own. But progress doesn’t happen unless you join the process. You just have to take the leap.

And for Moss, that leap has paid off.

– We’re really happy with the change. Going back to old-fashioned keyword search? Forget it!

Anastasia Dyrkorn
Webansvarlig i Moss kommune.

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