Brazil's National Social Security Institute (Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social, INSS) operates Helô, an AI-enabled virtual assistant deployed on the Meu INSS (My INSS) digital platform, which serves as the primary digital channel for citizens to access social security services across the country. Developed by Dataprev, Brazil's federal social security data processing company, Helô was launched on 7 May 2020 in direct response to the suspension of in-person INSS services on 20 March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The chatbot was introduced to ensure continuity of service delivery at a time when the INSS was already experiencing reduced personnel capacity, increased demand for services, overloading of its telephone call centre (135 hotline), and the implementation of the 2019 pension reform.
Helô is accessible via both the Meu INSS web portal and the Meu INSS mobile application on Android and iOS devices. Citizens initiate interaction by clicking a chat balloon icon in the lower-right corner of the screen and providing their name and CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas, the Brazilian individual taxpayer registration number). The system then guides users through structured conversation paths covering a wide range of INSS services and benefits. Core service areas include requesting benefits and services, checking process status, consulting medical examination results, obtaining statements, certificates and declarations, scheduling in-person appointments at INSS agencies, submitting documents, and managing account passwords.
The system was initially implemented using a decision tree architecture with predefined response possibilities for each situation indicated by the user during the interaction. This rule-based approach ensured reliable and consistent responses across the high volume of citizen inquiries. In July 2023, the platform was upgraded to incorporate a more advanced natural language processing (NLP) model, enabling more fluid and personalised conversations that allow citizens to express their queries in natural language rather than navigating through fixed menu options. This evolution from structured decision trees to NLP-based interaction represents a significant technical progression in the system's capabilities. Dataprev has announced plans to further enhance Helô with generative artificial intelligence capabilities.
The scale of Helô's deployment is substantial. On its launch day alone, the system processed 53,595 interactions, and within ten days had handled an additional 191,718 interactions. By May 2021, one year after launch, Helô had surpassed 19 million interactions, averaging approximately 80,000 daily consultations. By October 2020, the system had already reached six million interactions serving approximately three million citizens. By its third anniversary in May 2023, Helô had completed over 66 million interactions, with nine million in 2023 alone across 90 service topics. By 2024, the system had surpassed 100 million interactions in less than four years of operation. Service usage data shows that benefit and service requests constitute the largest share of interactions (approximately 30-35 per cent), followed by statements and certifications (approximately 14 per cent), medical evaluation inquiries (approximately 14 per cent), appointment scheduling (approximately 11 per cent), and password support (approximately 10 per cent).
Helô operates within a hybrid service model that combines automated AI-driven responses with humanised chat support provided by INSS staff. Servers across Brazil manage both Helô's automated operations and the humanised chat component, which requires staff with knowledge of INSS legislation and services. This hybrid approach ensures that more complex citizen inquiries that exceed the chatbot's capabilities are escalated to human operators who can provide fuller responses. The system is being progressively extended to incorporate more sophisticated human-AI collaboration.
Dataprev operates a dedicated AI Centre of Excellence located in João Pessoa, Paraíba, as one of five strategic technology hubs across Brazil. Over 700 developers across these centres support the applications used by citizens daily. In addition to Helô, Dataprev has implemented AI-enabled facial recognition technology within Meu INSS for biometric life verification (prova de vida) of benefit recipients, demonstrating the broader AI integration strategy within Brazil's social security infrastructure.
Helô has received international recognition, winning the 2020 International Social Security Association (ISSA) Best Practices Award for the Americas (ISSA Good Practice gp/198036). The ISSA has highlighted Helô as an example of how social security institutions can leverage chatbot technology to improve citizen service delivery, particularly during crises. The system's accessibility design prioritises simple language free of technical jargon to serve users across all education levels. Planned enhancements include direct document issuance via chat and accessibility improvements such as high contrast mode.
Brazil's broader Meu INSS digital transformation programme has also been recognised by ISSA as a success story in the digital transformation policy of the Brazilian State (ISSA Good Practice gp/198205), providing the institutional and technical foundation upon which Helô operates.