Key highlights
Natural-language discovery
Users can explore complex census publications using everyday questions.
Accessible text and voice interaction
Multiple interaction modes make published information easier to navigate.
AI-powered search
Intelligent retrieval of census data with responses grounded in approved census content and supporting sources
Scalable access to official statistics
The architecture can extend across additional publications and datasets
Summary
A leading national statistics agency partnered with Zensar to modernize access to census data via an AI-enabled knowledge platform. By leveraging Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Search, document intelligence, and speech services, the solution transformed static census reports into an interactive experience, enabling citizens, investors, and government stakeholders to retrieve information quickly through conversational text and voice interfaces.
Client overview
A National Statistical Authority and Data Agency responsible for managing and publishing large-scale demographic and socio-economic datasets that support national planning, policy development, academic research, and public information services. Serving citizens, businesses, researchers, and government departments, the organization sought to modernize public data access through advanced AI technologies.
Challenges
Unlocking faster and more inclusive access to national census information
Census information was distributed across extensive publications containing detailed tables, definitions, geographic classifications, methodological notes and explanatory text. Users often needed to identify the appropriate publication, navigate lengthy documents, and interpret the relevant tables before finding an answer.
Statistics Agency sought a more intuitive way for citizens, policymakers, researchers, and businesses to explore published census information through natural language, text, and voice. Any solution also needed to preserve the authority of the underlying statistics by grounding responses in approved sources, maintaining statistical context and provenance, enabling accessible interaction, and meeting government requirements for security, reliability, and responsible AI.
Solution
AI-powered conversational search for government census information
Zensar designed and developed an AI-powered information-access platform that enables users to explore published census data using natural language, text, and voice. The platform is an end-to-end intelligent information retrieval system powered by Microsoft Azure AI services. Census data stored as PDFs was extracted, structured, and enriched using Azure AI Document Intelligence.
The solution ingested selected census publications, extracted and structured their content, and enriched it with document metadata to improve discoverability. Hybrid keyword and vector search identified the most relevant, authoritative content, while Azure OpenAI generated clear, context-specific responses grounded in the retrieved sources. Voice input and output provided an additional channel for interaction for users who may find conventional document navigation difficult.
Zensar also implemented application security controls and responsible AI safeguards to reduce inappropriate queries, prompt attacks, and unsupported responses. The cloud-native architecture provides a scalable foundation that can be extended to additional approved statistical publications and public datasets.
Solution enablers
Technology stack
Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Search, Azure Blob Storage, Azure Functions, Azure App Service, Azure Speech Services, Azure AI Document Intelligence, Azure OpenAI, Azure Functions, Azure Web Application Firewall
Zensar services
AI Strategy, Conversational AI Development, Cloud Engineering, Data Processing and Integration, Accessibility Enablement, Application Security
Intelligent and inclusive information access
Intelligent information retrieval, Accessibility enablement, AI-powered citizen engagement, Voice-based interactions, Conversational search, User-friendly access to data, and Enhanced citizen experience.
Government and security
Prompt Shield, AI Guardrails, Secure Information Retrieval, Application Security Controls
Business outcome
Delivering inclusive, intelligent, and secure access to public census information for all citizens
The AI-powered platform transformed how citizens interact with government census information by making data easier to find, understand, and use. Through conversational search and voice-enabled capabilities, the solution expanded accessibility and increased public engagement, delivering valuable demographic insights. Advanced AI-powered search significantly improved information retrieval efficiency while maintaining data integrity and security. The scalable architecture also positions the organization to expand access to additional public datasets, creating a future-ready foundation for broader digital government initiatives and data-driven citizen services.