Microsoft is active in the field of artificial intelligence through Azure Cognitive Services, a focal industry service and development. EBO is a Maltese company focusing on solutions in the AI space. It helps large European enterprises augment their abilities in customer on-boarding and management while reducing operational costs.
Locally, Microsoft powers one of EBO’s products SpeakGDPR, a solution to help European citizens understand privacy and the implications of GDPR in a more accessible and user-friendly manner: with the help of Oliver, a bot.
“At EBO, we are very active in the AI space and our main mission is to create products that focus on enhancing conversations through AI. We have been keenly following Microsoft’s research and technical advancements in this sector,” explains EBO’s chief executive officer Gege Gatt.
Dr Gatt’s relationship with Microsoft goes a long way. While EBO is a candidate for Microsoft Partner status and a proud BizPark member, it is also an offshoot of software development firm ICON, which was one of Malta’s first Microsoft Gold Partners. EBO is now developing internationally with a subsidiary in the UK and an operation in the US.
“EBO is built around the proposition of helping businesses get closer to their customers through delightful conversations. To fulfil this ethos, EBO partners up with technology leaders which facilitate automation and spur innovation. Microsoft is at the forefront of this and we found it a perfect fit for EBO’s aspirations,” adds Dr Gatt.
We have been keenly following Microsoft’s research and technical advancements
“In today’s complex world, performance is all about speed and agility. Microsoft’s offering brings large-scale computing capabilities to the fingertips of organisations, which can then re-imagine and exploit the potential of AI. This is done in a trusted relationship which values the needs of the business, as well as caters for the complex privacy requirements that are often a critical element of our operation,” he goes on to say.
“We started by participating in a number of pre-release beta tests with other industry experts, which gave us unparalleled insights into technology development and, in turn, allowed us to rapidly on-board features and functions which would eventually benefit our customers.
“At EBO we believe that artificial intelligence is deeply changing the fabric of business as we know it. We are offering leading-edge solutions that help customers capture new value from their customer-service channels and digital touchpoints. This is an unprecedented disruption which is personalised, deep, rapid and impactful.”
While the SpeakGDPR project wasn’t designed to replace professional legal advice, the bot is bright enough to guide users through the principal points of this regulation.
“Through the impressive capabilities of AI, SpeakGDPR translates complex legal concepts into straightforward, fun, yet informative conversations. Oliver can be a first stop for those seeking to understand aspects of GDPR regulation. He is an intelligent, virtual assistant available 24/7 to answer GDPR-related queries in real-time. His knowledge base includes information on the right to delete data, get access to data and also rectify data,” says Dr Gatt.
“The usage of our service is hitting incredibly high numbers, which is a clear indication of the need for such citizen-centric services. We hope that Oliver can help translate the content and context of EU policy in areas beyond privacy and thus contribute to a better-informed and safe information society.”
SpeakGDPR is a non-commercial project. EU citizens can chat with Oliver free of charge and without having to sign up. Meet Oliver first hand at https://speakgdpr.com .