We, the undersigned, call on Bristol City Council to suspend the use of Briz, its AI-powered telephone assistant, for access to essential Council services until it has been independently assessed as safe, accessible and compliant with the Council's legal duties to residents.

Bristol City Council provides vital public services to thousands of people, including older residents, disabled people, carers, people experiencing mental ill health, those at risk of homelessness, and adults requiring urgent support from Adult Social Care.

For many residents, telephoning the Council is not a matter of convenience; it is their only means of obtaining essential help.

The introduction of Briz has created serious concerns about accessibility and safeguarding. In the experience of many callers, the system can misunderstand straightforward requests, require information to be repeated several times and delay access to a member of staff. For someone who is distressed, vulnerable or in crisis, these delays can increase anxiety and discourage them from continuing to seek help.

Older residents may be particularly affected. Many people have little experience of AI-driven telephone systems, have hearing difficulties, memory problems or reduced confidence when dealing with automated services. Others may have speech impairments, learning disabilities, autism, cognitive impairment or mental health conditions that make repeated interactions with artificial intelligence especially difficult.

Essential public services should be designed around the needs of the people who rely on them most—not around the convenience of technology.

The Council has legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that disabled people are not placed at a substantial disadvantage when accessing services and to make reasonable adjustments where necessary. It also has responsibilities under the Care Act 2014 to promote wellbeing, safeguard adults with care and support needs, and ensure that people can access the assistance they require without unnecessary barriers.

While technology has an important role in improving public services, it should support—not replace—timely access to trained staff where people's welfare, housing or safety may be at risk.

We therefore call upon Bristol City Council to:

- Suspend the use of Briz for Adult Social Care, Housing and other essential frontline services until an independent review has been completed.
- Ensure that every caller has the immediate option to speak directly to a trained member of staff without first having to engage with an AI system.
- Carry out and publish an independent Equality Impact Assessment and Safeguarding Impact Assessment relating to Briz.
- Consult older residents, disabled people, carers, advocacy organisations and frontline staff before expanding the use of AI within Council services.
- Publish performance data, including waiting times, abandoned calls, complaints and evidence that the system improves rather than hinders access to services.
- Guarantee that no person seeking urgent help is disadvantaged because they are unable to communicate effectively with an automated system.

Public services exist to protect and support people, particularly those who are most vulnerable. Human contact, empathy and professional judgement remain essential parts of that responsibility.

We urge Bristol City Council to place accessibility, safeguarding and dignity ahead of automation and to ensure that every resident can obtain prompt assistance from a real person when they need it most.

If you believe that everyone should be able to access essential Council services quickly, fairly and without unnecessary technological barriers, please sign and share this petition.