AI in parliaments: transforming MPs’ work in the Chamber and constituency

Dr Andy Williamson, Founder, Democratise

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force and its impact is being felt in many places.

The evolving landscape of legislative issues and the ever-growing demands from constituents have prompted parliaments to explore innovative solutions.

Among these solutions, Generative AI (GenAI) has emerged as a topic of much interest, having the potential to transform parliamentary processes and redefine the work of MPs.

Parliament could use AI to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of legislative functions, and to lower barriers to engagement between constituents and their representatives.

However, although AI brings considerable opportunities, it also creates ethical concerns and challenges in its implementation.¹

This paper explores ways in which AI can impact parliament and MPs, highlighting its potential to enhance MPs’ capacity to represent their constituents, redefine staff responsibilities and transform representative democracy.

An important caveat is that this paper is a summary and cannot describe all the potential of AI or its challenges. Many remain unknown, as AI comes with hyperbole and grand promises. Time alone will reveal its true impact.

While its focus of this paper is the UK, the paper gathers insights from legislative bodies across the globe, including from Brazil, Chile, Estonia, Finland and Italy.

Though largely addressing the potential of GenAI, the broader term “AI” is used to be more inclusive of other, particularly emerging, modalities of artificial intelligence.

Situating generative AI

GenAI has the potential to accelerate content creation and introduce innovative methods of generating content², but there are concerns regarding transparency, accuracy and responsible usage.

The functioning of these systems relies on the analysis of large quantities of data, referred to as Large Language Models (LLMs).

Consider a scenario where an AI application has processed all legislative documents in a parliament and uses these to assist in drafting new bills.

Although the ability to quickly create impactful and valuable content is considerable, it is equally important to recognise that these systems can also generate content that is false or even malicious.

Enhancing constituency work

AI could enhance MPs’ ability to serve their constituents. By leveraging advanced data analysis and machine learning (ML) techniques, AI can provide MPs with sophisticated insights into the needs and concerns of constituents, enabling more targeted and responsive representation.

Improved data analysis allows AI algorithms to process vast amounts of data from various sources to identify trends, emerging issues and areas of concern. This enables MPs to stay ahead of local developments, proactively addressing potential problems. For instance, an AI system could analyse social media sentiment and local news reports to flag a growing concern about healthcare wait times.

AI-powered chatbots, already being deployed in the European Parliament and the Parliament of Estonia, among others, can provide a more human-centred wrapper for routine questions about parliament, ongoing legislation or local services. This can free up valuable time for MPs and their staff to focus on more complex constituent issues.

Third, AI enables more personalised and efficient communication with constituents. Natural language processing (NLP) and ML algorithms can help MPs tailor their messages to different segments of their constituency, ensuring that communications are relevant and engaging to each recipient.

While these AI-driven enhancements offer exciting possibilities, it is important to consider and address issues of data privacy, algorithmic bias and the potential for the depersonalisation of constituent relationships.

Facilitating constituent engagement with MPs

AI can enhance the way constituents engage with their elected representatives by creating more accessible, responsive and interactive channels for citizen participation in the democratic process.

AI-driven platforms for submitting and tracking concerns can use NLP to categorise and prioritise constituent messages, ensuring urgent matters receive prompt attention. These systems can provide constituents with real-time updates on the status of their enquiries, fostering transparency and accountability.

Sentiment analysis of constituent feedback helps MPs gauge public opinion on various issues, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of constituent sentiment beyond traditional polling, surgeries or public meetings.

While these AI-facilitated engagement methods offer exciting possibilities for enhancing democratic participation, challenges such as digital exclusion and data privacy must be carefully navigated. The goal should be to use AI to lower barriers to engagement, increase transparency and foster more meaningful dialogue between constituents and their representatives.

Transforming the role of parliamentary staff

Integrating AI into parliamentary work will have significant implications for the roles of parliamentary staff. As AI takes on more routine and data-intensive tasks, staff work is likely to shift towards more strategic, interpersonal and specialised functions.

Staff will have more capacity to focus on tasks that require human judgment, empathy and complex problem-solving. This could involve deeper policy analysis, more extensive constituent casework or developing strategic communication plans. AI will become a powerful tool for research and briefing preparation, allowing staff to prepare more comprehensive and insightful briefings for MPs in less time.

The enhanced capacity for complex analysis is another way AI will transform staff roles. By automating data collection and initial analysis, AI frees up staff to engage in more nuanced and contextual policy and legislative evaluation, potentially leading to a more evidence-based approach. This approach can also be applied to the analysis of public submissions to committee inquiries.

This transformation will raise concerns about potential job displacement. As AI systems become more capable, some traditional staff roles may become obsolete, underscoring the need for reskilling and continuous professional development in parliamentary offices.

The current trajectory of AI suggests it will undoubtedly change the nature of MPs work. It also presents opportunities for staff to engage in more meaningful, impactful work. The key will be managing this transition effectively, ensuring that staff are equipped with the skills needed to thrive in an AI-augmented workplace.

Transforming culture and process

Implementing AI in parliamentary systems requires a fundamental transformation of culture, procedures and processes, which in turn presents both challenges and opportunities for modernising parliament. The IPU’s Issue Brief on AI in parliaments³ warns that where AI “is implemented in core parliamentary systems, such as those used for legislative drafting, parliaments will need to exercise caution, control and oversight in order to ensure reliability and accuracy.”

Using AI in drafting legislation, analysing public feedback or conducting impact assessments will likely necessitate new protocols for review and approval. Training and change management for MPs and staff is crucial for successful AI integration, involving fostering a culture of innovation and digital literacy within parliament.

Updating legal frameworks to address the use of AI in the legislative process is another critical aspect of this transformation⁴. Existing laws and regulations often cannot keep pace with the speed of technological change. These need to be reviewed and potentially revised to account for AI’s role in parliamentary processes, including new provisions for algorithmic accountability and data rights. However, new regulations need to be flexible and non-prescriptive, focusing on concepts and use rather than specific technologies or platforms.

This cultural and procedural transformation, while challenging, presents an opportunity to make parliaments more efficient, transparent and responsive to citizens’ needs. However, balancing tradition and rigour with technological innovation will be a delicate task. Parliaments must incorporate AI without undermining the practices and symbols that lend legitimacy to the democratic process.

Ethical considerations and risks

Embracing AI in the work of MPs means grappling with significant ethical considerations and potential risks. Addressing these challenges carefully is necessary to ensure that AI enhances, rather than undermines, democratic processes. However, barely one-in-ten parliaments are subject to specific legal regulations and only 14% have internal regulations governing their use of AI.⁵

Bias in AI systems is a pressing ethical concern. AI algorithms trained on existing data can reflect historical biases, potentially leading to skewed recommendations, perpetuated inequality and flawed analysis. Social media and the internet have fuelled disinformation and misinformation. AI exacerbates this and along with the potential to manipulate facts. These threats to democracy must be addressed.⁶

The transparency and explainability of AI-driven processes, along with their potential for hallucination⁷, manipulation or misuse, are key ethical and governance considerations. As AI systems become more complex, it is increasingly difficult to understand how they arrive at particular recommendations or decisions. This “black box” problem⁸ undermines accountability in democratic processes. Robust cybersecurity measures, full explainability of results and ongoing independent system audits are essential to mitigate these risks.

Privacy concerns and data protection represent another significant challenge. Ensuring the security and appropriate use of data is crucial for maintaining public trust.

Maintaining human oversight and accountability is vital. AI can provide valuable insights and efficiencies, but ultimate decision-making power must remain with MPs and their staff. Clear protocols must be established to ensure that AI recommendations undergo human review at all times and that MPs retain full accountability for decisions made with AI assistance.

Challenges of implementing AI

The path to implementing AI in parliament has many challenges and comes with additional costs. The initial investment in AI infrastructure and systems represents a substantial financial hurdle, including not only the AI software itself but also necessary hardware upgrades, data storage solutions and cybersecurity measures.

Ongoing maintenance and updates from another significant cost category. AI systems require constant refinement and adaptation to remain effective and secure. Training costs for MPs and staff to use AI must be considered.

Potential resistance to change and adoption barriers present non-financial but equally significant challenges. Some MPs and staff may be hesitant to embrace AI, whether because of scepticism about its benefits or concerns about job security. Overcoming this resistance will require careful change management strategies and clear communication about the role of AI.

The UK versus the global perspective

Around 29% of parliaments are using AI, an increase from 10% in 2020. This is primarily for translation and transcription, or to support members’ or public access. Only 2% of parliaments are currently using AI directly in the legislative process, such as for bill drafting or managing amendments.⁹

The UK Parliament, with its long history and deeply entrenched traditions, faces some unique challenges in AI adoption. However, many of the opportunities, issues and challenges facing parliaments embracing AI are universal. In comparison, parliaments in younger democracies or those implementing extensive digital transformation programmes may have greater flexibility to integrate AI more seamlessly. Parliaments such as the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, the European Parliament, the Parliament of Estonia and both the Chamber of Deputies and Senate of Italy are early adopters and pioneers in implementing AI¹⁰.

International collaboration and sharing of good practices will be crucial as parliaments globally navigate the AI landscape. The Inter-Parliamentary Union’s (IPU) guidelines on the use of AI in parliaments has arisen out of the collaborative networks of the Centre for Innovation in Parliament and are a unique resource, written by parliaments for parliaments.

Future prospects and unknowns

The potential of AI to transform parliamentary work is vast, but so are the unknowns and risks involved. AI could enhance legislative drafting and analysis, helping identify inconsistencies or unintended consequences in draft legislation, incorporating amendments and helping compare proposed laws with existing statutes and constitutional principles. This is already happening in the Senate of Italy and the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies.

AI’s role in improving parliamentary oversight and scrutiny could expand, with ML algorithms analysing vast amounts of government data to assist parliamentary committees in their scrutiny function. This could lead to more effectively holding the executive to account and better-informed policy decisions. Such AI-based systems are already in use in both chambers in Italy and in Brazil.

These advancements raise questions about the long-term implications for representative democracy. As AI systems become more sophisticated, there may be calls to give them a more direct role in decision-making processes, potentially altering the nature of representation and the role of MPs.

Ongoing research, addressing ethical considerations and adaptive, evidence-based policymaking will be crucial in navigating these unknowns. Parliaments must remain agile, ready to harness new technologies while also being prepared to address unforeseen challenges and put in place good practices learned from others.

Opportunities, challenges and risks

Integrating AI into parliamentary work represents a transformative shift in how democracy functions in the digital age. From enhancing MPs’ ability to serve their constituents to transforming legislative processes, AI presents many opportunities to make parliaments more efficient, transparent and responsive to citizens’ needs.

These opportunities come with significant challenges. Ethical concerns must be rigorously addressed, and the cultural and procedural transformations required will need strong leadership and careful management. Moving forward, it is crucial that integrating AI into parliaments is guided by democratic principles and a commitment to serving the public good, and that implementation, particularly around core legislative functions, happens with extreme care. AI usage must be underpinned by appropriate legislation and rigorous parliamentary guidelines¹¹.

Ultimately, the potential of AI lies in its ability to revitalise democratic institutions, empowering them to effectively tackle the complex challenges of the modern era. Achieving this goal requires an approach that is considerate, ethical and inclusive, with democratic representation at its core.¹²

Endnotes

Williamson, A (2023, Oct), “The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in parliaments”, Innovation Tracker 16, Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Gidwani, S & Bello, A (2024), “Using generative AI to accelerate product innovation”, IBM.
Inter-Parliamentary Union (2024). “Issue brief: Using generative AI in parliaments”.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (2023). “Policy paper: AI regulation: a pro-innovation approach”, London: /HM Government.
Inter-Parliamentary Union (2024), World e-Parliament Report 2024, Geneva: IPU.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (2023), Parliamentary Handbook on Disinformation, AI and Synthetic Media, London: CPA.
In AI systems (and particularly large language models) “hallucination” refers to instances where information or responses are generated which are false, nonsensical or not based on their training data. These fabrications can appear convincing but are essentially AI-generated misinformation, often occurring when the system attempts to provide answers in areas where it lacks accurate knowledge or context.
A “black box” refers to the internal workings of the AI system not being transparent or understandable, even to its creators.
Inter-Parliamentary Union (2024). World e-Parliament Report 2024, Geneva: IPU.
Centre for Innovation in Parliament (2024), “Use cases for AI in parliaments”, Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Fitsilis, F, von Lucke, J, De Vrieze, F (eds) (2024), Guidelines for AI in Parliaments, London: Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
Inter-Parliamentary Union (2024). Guidelines for AI in parliament, Geneva: IPU.