Making Public Information More Accessible

The fr.ch portal brings together a vast amount of administrative information: procedures, legislation, forms, cantonal services, and municipal information. Finding the right answer within such a large website is not always straightforward.

Users simply ask their question in natural language, just as they would ask another person. Although fr.ch is available in French and German, as befits a bilingual canton, questions can be asked in any language, allowing people who do not speak either official language to access the information they need.

The AI chatbot identifies relevant content on fr.ch and within Fribourgā€™s legal database, then generates a written response while citing the official sources used.

This transparency is essential. AI does not replace official information; it makes it easier to access.

AI Designed for Digital Sovereignty

Data sovereignty was a central requirement of the project. The State Chancellery wanted to retain full control over both the infrastructure and data processing.

The chatbot is powered by LiipGPT, our generative AI platform. Our Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) engine selects the official content most relevant to each question. The solution is hosted in Switzerland by Exoscale.

For the Large Language Model (LLM), we use Mistral AI, a leading European provider. The model is also hosted in Switzerland by Infomaniak, a pioneer in sustainable and environmentally responsible web hosting. The LLM servers run exclusively on renewable energy and combine natural cooling, heat recovery, optimised and recycled hardware, and local carbon offsetting.

This architecture reduces dependence on major US-based platforms and promotes a Swiss and European approach to generative AI. Requests are anonymised, and no personal data is shared with third parties. The entire solution remains under Swiss jurisdiction and complies with applicable data protection legislation.

A Collaboration Rooted in Western Switzerland

The State Chancellery of Fribourg led the project with a clear understanding of the administrative and political challenges involved. Our team, including colleagues based in Fribourg, developed the solution in close collaboration with the Chancellery, ensuring it addressed real-world needs as effectively as possible.

This close partnership enabled fast feedback loops and a strong focus on user experience. Beyond the technology itself, the goal was to create a tool that is useful, reliable, and easy for the people of Fribourg to understand and use.

A First Step Towards a More Accessible Administration

Since the initial launch in March, we have refined several aspects of the solution to further improve response quality. To support this process, our client benefits from our automated evaluation tools, which continuously monitor and assess the quality of generated responses.

This first version covers public information available on fr.ch as well as Fribourgā€™s legal database. The scope will gradually expand to include information published by other cantonal institutions and selected municipalities. As new sources are added, maintaining response quality remains a key priority.

One conviction guides our work: AI in the public sector can be sovereign, transparent, and useful. Achieving this requires maintaining control over the infrastructure and always providing clear source references.

Interested in discussing AI for your institution? Don't hesitate to contact me