How is AI being used in parliaments around the World?

The Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service has published a briefing paper which looks at ‘how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being utilised in parliamentary contexts. It provides examples of parliamentary tasks being performed by AI and discusses the potential pros and cons of its use’ (here).

The briefing explains that AI usage can be analysed by considering :

• AI use: 
  • a focus on the core parliamentary functions aiming to solve existing problems, such as legislative drafting as well as parliamentary reporting and editing, analysis of data, and/or 
  • to address emerging parliamentary functions that will enable new forms of services and associated value creation potential.
• Level of AI services: at an intra-parliamentary level, aiming to provide assistance to MPs as well as the scientific and administrative personnel of the parliament;
• alternatively, at an inter-parliamentary level, AI services can either be between parliaments and/or between parliaments and civil society.

The briefing further explains how different parliaments are at different stages:

1. Some have not started exploring the opportunities of AI due to lack of IT systems and data governance; 
2. some are still in testing and ‘lab mode’.  
3. however, the briefing sets out how various parliaments are using AI and which now focus ‘on policy and strategy development and creating requirements for public procurement that include AI services’.

Examples of what parliaments are using AI for include:

• managing proposed - and potentially numerous - legislative amendments (Italy);
• semantic analysis of public comments in legislative proposals (Brazil);
• drafting resolutions (California, notably to affirm the state's commitment to President Biden's vision for safe AI and the principles outlined in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights.)

The work of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on AI (here) is also noted.  The IPU has produced guidelines for the use of AI in parliaments.  As the IPU has explained previously, one can expect rapid change in the development of AI technologies, increasing the opportunities but also the risks.

The briefing concludes that:

What can be said with certainty is that AI applications will increasingly become a feature of parliamentary work, and it is important that institutions are prepared to both utilise the opportunities presented by this and also manage the risks that come with its use.

If you would like to discuss how current or future regulations impact what you do with AI, please contact Tom Whittaker, Brian Wong, Lucy Pegler, Martin Cook, Liz Smith or any other member in our Technology team.  For the latest on AI law and regulation, see our blog and newsletter.