AI in Parliaments: The Need for Specialised Applications in Parliamentary Operations
AI in Parliaments: The Need for Specialised Applications in Parliamentary Operations
Written on July, 2023
Introduction
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has permeated numerous sectors, its integration into daily life raising critical questions on its application within specialised fields. Specifically, the incorporation of AI into parliamentary operations presents a challenge distinct from its wider usage. Parliament, the fulcrum of democratic societies, operates under the aegis of specific procedures, regulations and a unique lexicon. Hence, understanding how AI applications, specifically designed for such an environment, can distinguish themselves from generic tools is critical. This exploration equally considers the precautions necessary when using AI tools not initially conceived for parliamentary operations.
Understanding the Uniqueness of Parliamentary Operations
The dynamics within a parliament are imbued with elements of democracy, legal culture, and intricate inter-party dialogues, all influenced by well-established historical and constitutional traditions. Therefore, AI tools incorporated into such an environment must be able to navigate these specific intricacies, while adhering to the principles of democracy and the legitimacy of processes. Unlike generic AI tools, these must be moulded to operate within the parameters of the unique legislative lexicon and the delicate mechanisms of negotiations and dialogue.
While generic AI tools such as ChatGPT or Google Baird are optimised to solve problems across numerous domains, their performance in a legislative context may be inadequate, lacking the fine-tuning necessary for understanding and navigating the specific language and processes that define parliamentary operations.
Ensuring Transparency and Control in AI Integration
While the potential of AI to enhance parliamentary operations is clear, it is equally crucial to ensure that the principles of transparency and control are not compromised in its application. It becomes imperative, therefore, to demand the same quality and transparency from AI systems as would be expected in critical sectors like healthcare. This requirement extends to understanding how machine learning and AI models are trained and what data is fed into them, as this forms the core distinction between custom-designed solutions and more generic tools.
Implications of Data Handling and Processing
One of the notable risks in using generic AI tools in the parliamentary sector lies in data management. When data is fed into an AI model, it becomes crucial to comprehend the handling and processing mechanisms. The differentiation here lies in the security of the data used. In-house AI applications, tailored to parliament operations, can assure a more controlled environment for data use. On the contrary, the use of private-sector models, although benefiting from superior computational power, may risk data leakage and compromise data custody.
Custom AI Tools: Ensuring Democratic Principles and Independence
The design of AI applications for parliamentary use should be underpinned by democratic principles, legitimacy, independence, and the preservation of semantics. The adoption of these AI tools should never compromise the guarantees of minority parties or tip the balanced flow of information. The requirement for an independent infrastructure becomes crucial to control the inputs and outputs of AI, the training, and the fine-tuning of the AI models.
AI's semantic understanding is another critical aspect of the design. The legal domain is rich in semantics, where the language creates laws and frames norms. Hence, a meaningful integration of AI into the parliamentary operations necessitates a recall to this perspective of understanding and interpreting the legal language.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the distinct needs of parliamentary operations demand tailored AI solutions, exhibiting comprehensive transparency and control in their design and usage. While each parliament may have unique attributes and specific needs due to varying cultural, historical, or regional factors, AI tools for parliamentary operations should be designed with a focus on the collective needs and operational procedures intrinsic to these institutions. A purpose-built, rather than a one-size-fits-all, approach to AI ensures the preservation of democratic principles, procedural legitimacy, and data security within the complex and nuanced landscape of parliamentary operations.