A recent Montana State University alumnus is using his entrepreneurial venture to share important information about COVID-19 in a way that is easy for people to access – for free.

Levi Worts’ startup, SkyCivic, created the chatbot with a goal of helping to slow the spread of COVID-19. It is based off information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Worts graduated from MSU in 2015 with a degree in English. SkyCivic is his Manhattan-based company that works to make government information accessible and engaging through its automated chatbots. A chatbot is a software application used to conduct an online conversation via text or text-to-speech.

“Chatbots are an interactive experience designed to mimic the most-used mobile interface on the planet: text messaging,” Worts explained. “In other words, everyone understands how to consume information and interact with a chatbot already.”

Worts noted that chatbot interactions can happen either through guided conversations – such as options presented that the user selects from – or through custom queries, where the user types out a message that the chatbot then has to interpret and understand.

“Information is one of the most critical resources in a crisis, but it can be hard to consume and comprehend what’s important to each individual,” Worts said of his motivation for creating the chatbot. “The COVID-19 self-assessment chatbot distills all of the critical information and presents it in a way that anyone can understand.”

SkyCivic’s COVID-19 chatbot is based off the CDC's priority and symptom guidelines. It features determinations on whether a user is showing mild or emergency symptoms; priority ratings based on CDC guidelines for testing; and updates on the current COVID cases in the U.S., including a feature that allows users to search COVID cases by location.

Worts said the chatbot is focused on self-assessment, because his company identified it as the highest risk of misinformation and misunderstanding.

“However, we recognize the power of deeper research and understanding,” Worts added. “We included direct links to CDC webpages and the case tracker to search COVID cases by state, county and city, in some cases, to help citizens stay informed and up-to-date.”

Worts added that the chatbot should not replace a professional medical assessment.

“Naturally, chatbots are not an actual replacement for medical professionals or clinics assessments; rather, they act as the initial conversational layer on the subject,” Worts said. “If you feel you are in an emergency situation, seek assistance from medical professionals immediately.”

MSU Blackstone LaunchPad Director Trevor Huffmaster said the chatbot is a great tool.

“We are so impressed by the COVID-19 tool that Levi and SkyCivic developed,” Huffmaster said. “There are so many additional government and industry opportunities to create major efficiencies with chatbot tools like these."  

Huffmaster noted that SkyCivic is one of 14 finalists in MSU’s inaugural $50K Venture Competition, where students, faculty, staff and recent alumni compete for a share of $50,000 in prize money. Participants gain access to experienced entrepreneurs, investors, mentors and numerous business network resources. They also receive feedback from judges and may capture the attention of investors. The 14 finalists were selected from among 29 entries.

The company is also a current member of the 406 Labs business accelerator at MSU.

Worts, who grew up in Belgrade and has spent all of his life in the Gallatin Valley except for a five-year enlistment in the U.S. Marine Corps, said he is grateful for the opportunities and assistance provided by MSU’s Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship, its Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars and the 406 Labs.

"Starting out as an entrepreneur can be a daunting process. Our journey so far has been extraordinary, and I credit that to the people and resources that MSU offers to our community,” Worts said. “Everyone has gone above and beyond to help SkyCivic form connections and direct us to mentors. We now have the opportunity to focus on what makes us passionate, the product."

And, he added, his English degree has served him well as an entrepreneur.

“My time at MSU was spent understanding how to effectively communicate to an audience through writing,” Worts said. “As it turns out, chatbots are an extension of that work. I would like to thank my professors in the English department for pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible. For me, it created an appetite to explore and innovate.”

SkyCivic’s COVID-19 chatbot is available at https://skycivic.com/covid/.