New technologies must serve democracy, not distort it. Parliaments need guidelines to responsibly integrate AI into their work, argues Dr. Fotis Fitsilis.
Parliaments around the world are continually embracing digital tools and services, yielding benefits for members, the institutions themselves and the citizens they serve. To date, some of the most widely adopted examples include digitally sharing information with citizens using social media, enhancing participation in democracy through the use of online petitions and consultations, promoting transparency by making parliamentary proceedings and records available to view online, and electronic voting.
Yet AI technologies pose a new and distinct set of risks and opportunities for parliaments. As AI evolves at an unprecedented pace, parliaments face an ongoing challenge: how can they to keep up with these advancements while ensuring they are used responsibly?
On the one hand, the rise of AI is expected to play a significant role in transforming legislatures from paper-based organisations into data-driven institutions. On the other hand, AI technologies present significant risks, both for the everyday work of parliaments and to democracy itself.
As workplaces, parliaments are grappling with how to integrate AI into their operational toolkits – much like many businesses, government departments and non-profits around the world.
But parliaments are much more than just workplaces – they are a fundamental component of democracy. As democracies’ primary accountability and governance institutions, parliaments play host to influential public debates about the impact of technologies like AI on our economies, politics, and societies. Not to mention, they are the place where the legislation that governs AI is made, debated, and scrutinised.
It is clear that parliaments must get to grips with AI – and fast. They must balance the benefits of AI with the need to safeguard democratic principles and maintain public trust. This includes AI governance but also parliaments' application of AI technologies themselves
During the course of producing new guidelines for the use of AI in parliaments, we found several different examples of innovative approaches in parliaments, for example the European Parliament uses a chatbot for answering citizens’ questions about the content of its archives, the Federal Senate of Brazil employs facial recognition to monitor the attendance of parliamentarians at plenary sittings and committee meetings, and the Committee of the Future of the Finnish Parliament had a conversational experience with AI ‘personalities’.
However, some of the parliaments we talked to admitted to experimenting with AI whilst not feeling comfortable about its use. Nor had they considered any procedural framework for integrating the technology into their legacy systems.
That is why the publication of a comprehensive set of AI guidelines for parliaments is such a significant development. This document – the result of extensive research, collaboration and expertise – aims to navigate the complex intersection of AI and legislatures and equip parliaments with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate this complex landscape.
In developing these guidelines, the expert working group considered ethical implications, transparency, accountability, and the operational integration of AI within the parliamentary workspace, among other things. They provide a framework that parliaments can adapt to their unique context and needs.
The guidelines not only promote responsible AI use but also empower parliaments to mitigate the risks of AI whilst leveraging AI’s potential to strengthen their functions and serve citizens better. As we move forward, the continued collaboration and support within the parliamentary community will be essential in ensuring that AI contributes positively to the evolution of democratic institutions.
Dr. Fotis Fitsilis, WFD’s Franklin De Vrieze, and Zeppelin University’s Prof. Dr. Jörn von Lucke are the editors of the Guidelines for AI in parliaments, which were written by an international working group of experts. The Guidelines are part of an ongoing process of learning and review and we welcome comments.
The working group remains committed to supporting the parliamentary community and stands ready to provide guidance and assistance as parliaments embark on the journey of integrating AI into their operations. This support is crucial in helping parliaments make informed decisions and implement best practices tailored to their specific circumstances.
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Parliaments must get to grips with AI
Dr. Fotis Fitsilis, Hellenic Parliament
Parliaments around the world are continually embracing digital tools and services, yielding benefits for members, the institutions themselves and the citizens they serve. To date, some of the most widely adopted examples include digitally sharing information with citizens using social media, enhancing participation in democracy through the use of online petitions and consultations, promoting transparency by making parliamentary proceedings and records available to view online, and electronic voting.
Yet AI technologies pose a new and distinct set of risks and opportunities for parliaments. As AI evolves at an unprecedented pace, parliaments face an ongoing challenge: how can they to keep up with these advancements while ensuring they are used responsibly?
On the one hand, the rise of AI is expected to play a significant role in transforming legislatures from paper-based organisations into data-driven institutions. On the other hand, AI technologies present significant risks, both for the everyday work of parliaments and to democracy itself.
As workplaces, parliaments are grappling with how to integrate AI into their operational toolkits – much like many businesses, government departments and non-profits around the world.
But parliaments are much more than just workplaces – they are a fundamental component of democracy. As democracies’ primary accountability and governance institutions, parliaments play host to influential public debates about the impact of technologies like AI on our economies, politics, and societies. Not to mention, they are the place where the legislation that governs AI is made, debated, and scrutinised.
It is clear that parliaments must get to grips with AI – and fast. They must balance the benefits of AI with the need to safeguard democratic principles and maintain public trust. This includes AI governance but also parliaments' application of AI technologies themselves
During the course of producing new guidelines for the use of AI in parliaments, we found several different examples of innovative approaches in parliaments, for example the European Parliament uses a chatbot for answering citizens’ questions about the content of its archives, the Federal Senate of Brazil employs facial recognition to monitor the attendance of parliamentarians at plenary sittings and committee meetings, and the Committee of the Future of the Finnish Parliament had a conversational experience with AI ‘personalities’.
However, some of the parliaments we talked to admitted to experimenting with AI whilst not feeling comfortable about its use. Nor had they considered any procedural framework for integrating the technology into their legacy systems.
That is why the publication of a comprehensive set of AI guidelines for parliaments is such a significant development. This document – the result of extensive research, collaboration and expertise – aims to navigate the complex intersection of AI and legislatures and equip parliaments with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate this complex landscape.
In developing these guidelines, the expert working group considered ethical implications, transparency, accountability, and the operational integration of AI within the parliamentary workspace, among other things. They provide a framework that parliaments can adapt to their unique context and needs.
The guidelines not only promote responsible AI use but also empower parliaments to mitigate the risks of AI whilst leveraging AI’s potential to strengthen their functions and serve citizens better. As we move forward, the continued collaboration and support within the parliamentary community will be essential in ensuring that AI contributes positively to the evolution of democratic institutions.
Explore the guidelines
Dr. Fotis Fitsilis, WFD’s Franklin De Vrieze, and Zeppelin University’s Prof. Dr. Jörn von Lucke are the editors of the Guidelines for AI in parliaments, which were written by an international working group of experts. The Guidelines are part of an ongoing process of learning and review and we welcome comments.
The working group remains committed to supporting the parliamentary community and stands ready to provide guidance and assistance as parliaments embark on the journey of integrating AI into their operations. This support is crucial in helping parliaments make informed decisions and implement best practices tailored to their specific circumstances.
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