Hermosa Beach website chatbot  Sunny is not a hallucination

by Kevin Cody

Hermosa Beach residents with questions about parking permits don’t need to navigate the city website to get answers. They can ask Sunny, and get their answers instantly.

Sunny is the city website’s new AI chatbot. 

When asked how many parking permits residents are allowed, it answered, “Each residence in Hermosa Beach is limited to three residential parking permits per year. However, a fourth permit may be available if certain conditions are met.”

Sunny’s not easily stumped. But when she was stumped, as when asked if Hermosa has a public swimming pool, she politely admits ignorance. “I’m not sure if Hermosa Beach has a public swimming pool,” she answered. And then helpfully added, “You might want to contact the city directly … at (310) 318-0239.

According to a city press release, Sunny’s answers are “drawn from the City’s official website and other authorized sources.”

Sunny’s icon is in the bottom-right corner of every page on the city’s website, HermosaBeach.gov, and on the GoHermosa service request app, enabling residents to submit service requests directly to Sunny. ER