In Russia, ‘Zhenya’ the Robot Handles Public Utility Calls

A voice assistant named Zhenya has become a central player in digitizing Russia’s public utilities sector, processing hundreds of thousands of resident requests since its launch.

In the Moscow region, a housing and utilities voice assistant named 'Zhenya,' launched in November 2023, has already handled 310,000 calls. Operating around the clock, the system helps residents resolve issues related to electricity, water supply, heating, and other public services, according to Radio 1.

The robot provides information about planned outages, repair timelines, and forwards requests to the Unified Dispatch Service. If necessary, it connects callers directly to a human operator. The most frequent inquiries have been about electricity, water supply, and heating.

The introduction of Zhenya is part of Russia’s strategy to automate the public utilities sector. Artificial intelligence technology speeds up request processing and reduces the workload for operators.

This project illustrates how modern technology can improve service quality and make interactions between citizens and utilities more convenient.