OpenCouncil uses artificial intelligence to make local democracy more accessible by turning city council meetings into searchable, easy-to-understand information for citizens.
OPENING THE DOORS TO CITY DECISION-MAKING
Launched in Chania in 2025, OpenCouncil helps residents stay informed about decisions that affect their daily lives. The platform automatically transcribes council meetings, identifies speakers, generates summaries, and creates short video clips organised by topic. Citizens can explore decisions by subject or neighbourhood and receive personalised notifications through SMS, WhatsApp, or email. From its first deployment in Chania, the platform has expanded to ten municipalities across Greece, reaching more than one million residents.
USING AI TO BRING CITIZENS CLOSER TO THEIR COUNCILS
OpenCouncil transforms lengthy and complex council proceedings into accessible public information. Rather than acting as a separate participation tool, the platform replaces traditional transcription services while providing significantly greater functionality. Its open-source design, transparent pricing, and nonprofit governance model make it easy for municipalities of all sizes to adopt. By requiring only a meeting recording, the system offers a practical and scalable way to improve transparency and strengthen communication between local authorities and citizens.
MAKING LOCAL DEMOCRACY MORE ACCESSIBLE
Within just over a year, OpenCouncil expanded from a pilot project to a network serving communities ranging from large cities to small islands. Council discussions that once took days to document can now be searched within hours by topic, speaker, and location. Citizens receive timely updates on decisions affecting their neighbourhoods, making local government more visible and responsive. Supported by a sustainable revenue model, OpenCouncil demonstrates how digital technologies can strengthen democratic participation and trust in public institutions.
