Brønderslev Municipality utilizes artificial intelligence to verify Christmas assistance requests

The holiday season has become increasingly expensive, prompting a record number of requests for Christmas assistance from churches and charitable organizations each year. In Brønderslev Municipality, a new approach utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) is being implemented to validate these requests and ensure that help is directed solely to those in genuine need.

Teresa Hörman, the head of citizen services for Brønderslev Municipality, noted the significant resources spent on this process in the past. “Now we have a robot that validates applications and provides us with data that we can use,” she explained. Applications for Christmas assistance are being processed through the municipality’s website, where the AI reviews various criteria, including the applicants’ income, marital status, number of children at home, and whether multiple individuals at the same address have applied for aid.

The municipality compiles this data to share with organizations distributing Christmas aid, which often have diverse criteria for assistance. Some may only offer help to families with children, while others set different income limits.

Churches within the Brønderslev Provsti are among those receiving support from the municipality to verify applications. Coordinator Marianne Reng Jørgensen expressed the desire to help everyone in need but emphasized the importance of preventing fraud. While the vast majority of applicants are legitimate, she acknowledged that some cases of manipulation have been encountered.

Despite the checks, Jørgensen is confident that genuine applicants will continue to seek assistance, as many have ongoing needs and are accustomed to applying for aid. A few churches in the region manage their own Christmas assistance programs, requiring applicants to reach out to their local parish priest.