Jena tests AI for case documentation in public administration

Jena, October 06, 2026 – The city of Jena is participating in the second pilot phase of the nationwide ‘Agentic AI Hub’ initiated by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDS). In cooperation with the company Sozial KI UG, the use of artificial intelligence for case documentation in the social sector is being tested.

The Jena pilot project focuses on how administrative staff can be relieved of time-consuming documentation tasks. The use of digital support is intended to create more capacity for the actual professional work with people. In the coming weeks, the solution will be tested and evaluated under real-world conditions.

Focus on relief and human final decision-making

The Head of the Social Department, Kathleen Lützkendorf, emphasized the importance of the project for everyday administrative work: “Especially in the social sectors of our administration, we need the time of our specialists where it matters most: for work with and for people.” At the same time, she highlighted that careful documentation and reliable processes are essential. The use of artificial intelligence is intended to make administrative tasks more efficient without replacing professional decision-making.

Specifically, a specially designed AI agent generates structured drafts for professional documentation from notes and available information. The first concrete use case is the creation of assistance plans. The generated drafts are then reviewed, supplemented if necessary, and finally approved by the responsible specialists. Before practical implementation, clear guidelines were defined regarding which data may be processed. Automated decisions concerning individuals explicitly do not take place; the involved specialists retain final decision-making authority at all times and receive intensive training in the use of the software.

Part of a nationwide network

The ‘Agentic AI Hub’ brings municipalities together with specialized technology companies to evaluate concrete application fields in public administration. In the current round, 38 municipalities from twelve federal states are testing a total of 17 different solutions. The goal is to gain practical insights into the benefits and transferability to other administrations.

Jena’s Smart City Commissioner, Dorothea Prell, also sees participation as an opportunity for systematic modernization: “We want to systematically unlock the benefits of artificial intelligence for the administration and deploy it where it creates concrete added value and provides noticeable relief for our employees.” The project is being closely coordinated with the staff council and will run until December 2026. Subsequently, an evaluation report will determine the results and the feasibility of continuing the project.

Source:

City of Jena tests AI support for case documentation in the social sector

Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.

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