VFS Global launches AI-powered Chatbot for U.K. visa applicants in 141 countries

VFS Global said it has introduced AI-powered Chatbot for U.K. visa applicants in 141 countries. Developed at VFS Global AI Centres located in India, UAE and Germany, the chatbot leverages Generative AI-powered conversational capability, offering human-like, conversational support and even responding to voice and text inputs, effectively catering to a diverse audience, the company said.

Jen Vidler, deputy director, cross-cutting service operations, visa, status and information services, customer services group, U.K. visas and immigration, said, “The rollout of VFS Global’s AI-powered chatbot demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring our visa services are accessible, efficient and meet the needs of all customers.” 

“Providing instant access to accurate information about the visa application process will ensure we continue to offer the best service to our customers,” she said.

Zubin Karkaria, founder and CEO, VFS Global said, “This AI-powered information solution will significantly enhance the visa application experience for our customers travelling to the U.K. from across the globe.”

“We are developing a range of AI and digital technology driven products to drive the next transformation in visa and consular services for our client governments and customers. We remain deeply committed to the responsible development of AI in accordance with the policies and requirements of our client governments,” he said.

The AI-powered chatbot was developed using advanced Generative AI technologies, each trained exclusively on publicly available data from their respective VFS Global Country-to-UK websites. 

Built and hosted entirely on VFS Global’s secure IT infrastructure, the AI models adhere to rigorous data privacy and security standards, the company said.

A dedicated team of data scientists and AI specialists collaborated on the project, leveraging in-house expertise to uphold quality and security standards, with VFS Global’s AI centres based in Dubai (the headquarters for AI and Digital Operations), Mumbai, and Berlin, it added