Risks and challenges for parliaments

This high-level guideline is intended for parliamentary leadership and senior parliamentary managers, as well as for parliamentary staff and MPs who are interested in gaining a broad understanding of the risks and challenges of AI.

This guideline examines the risks involved in the introduction of AI in parliaments, both from a strategic level and in terms of what it means operationally for parliaments, with a particular focus on risks that are unique to legislatures. For each of these areas, it provides brief checklists that senior parliamentary managers can use as a starting point to fully understand the impact that AI is likely to have.

As AI adoption gains traction and the use of this technology becomes more commonplace, parliaments must understand the implications and closely examine the risks and challenges associated with the implementation of AI.

Technologies such as generative AI, with its ability to create content based on vast amounts of data, promises productivity gains and potentially transformational change in parliamentary operations. However, it also introduces new complexities and risks that must be carefully managed.

For a discussion of the more generic risks and biases that AI introduces, refer to the guideline Generic risks and biases. For a discussion of the potential uses of AI in parliamentary settings, refer to the guideline The role of AI in parliaments.

At the strategic level, parliaments face several key challenges in adopting AI. Foremost among these is the development of comprehensive AI governance frameworks that ensure strong ethical principles, transparency and accountability in AI systems.

Parliaments must also address potential biases in AI algorithms, ensuring that these systems do not inadvertently amplify existing societal inequalities or underrepresent minority views. This is particularly crucial in parliamentary contexts, where fair representation is a fundamental principle.

Public trust and perception present another strategic challenge. Parliaments must effectively communicate their use of AI to constituents, managing expectations and addressing concerns about the role of AI in democratic processes. This requires a delicate balance between showcasing the benefits of AI adoption and reassuring the public that human judgement remains central to parliamentary functions.

Strategic considerations checklist:

• Develop a comprehensive AI governance framework and policies that reflect parliament’s ethical principles.

• Establish protocols for ensuring AI transparency and accountability.

• Expand the remit of existing data committees or similar bodies to encompass AI.

• Develop a communication strategy to inform the public about AI use in parliament.

• Regularly assess and mitigate potential biases in AI systems.

Several aspects of AI adoption are uniquely relevant to parliaments, with the rapid evolution of this technology requiring legislatures to develop flexible, future-proof AI strategies. This is particularly challenging given the typically slower pace of change in parliamentary institutions.

Unlike in other contexts, the successful implementation of AI in parliament requires buy-in across political divides. Different parties may have varying views on the role and extent of AI use in parliamentary functions, necessitating careful negotiation and compromise.

Perhaps most fundamentally, parliaments must balance the pursuit of efficiency through AI with the preservation of core democratic values. While AI can enhance many aspects of parliamentary work, it is crucial that it is used to augment – not replace – the essential human elements of democratic representation and decision-making.

The adoption of AI in parliaments has direct implications for legislative processes. There is the potential for AI to significantly alter how debates are conducted and how legislation is drafted. While AI can provide valuable insights and efficiencies, it is essential to maintain human oversight in any move towards AI-assisted lawmaking. The nuanced and often politically sensitive work of parliaments requires a level of judgement and ethical consideration that current AI systems cannot replicate.

Constituency engagement is another area where AI could have a profound impact. AI-powered tools could support deeper analysis of public sentiment on proposed legislation, potentially providing more real-time feedback. However, this must be balanced with the importance of direct constituent interactions to ensure that the human element of representation is not lost.

Unique parliamentary considerations checklist:

• Develop guidelines for maintaining human oversight in AI-assisted lawmaking and ensuring scrutiny of AI-based decisions.

• Establish rules for disclosing AI use in legislative processes.

• Develop a flexible AI strategy that can adapt with rapid technological change.

• Establish mechanisms for equitable access to AI resources across all of parliament.

• Develop protocols for international cooperation on AI in parliaments.

On the operational front, implementing and integrating AI systems into existing parliamentary procedures and processes poses significant challenges, especially since these are often complex and steeped in tradition. Moreover, parliaments must ensure that AI adoption does not disrupt the essential human elements of political discourse and decision-making. 

Data management and security are also critical concerns. Parliaments handle sensitive information and are prime targets for cyberattacks. AI systems could potentially create new vulnerabilities if they are not implemented with robust security measures.

Capacity-building and change management present another set of operational challenges. Developing AI literacy and data literacy among MPs and staff is crucial for effective use and oversight of these systems. However, this introduces a unique challenge in balancing the need for traditional parliamentary skills and knowledge with new AI competencies. Moreover, ensuring that AI systems are trained on high-quality data is essential to prevent biased or inaccurate outputs. 

There is also the potential for job displacement within parliamentary staff, necessitating careful management of role redefinition and retraining.

Operational challenges checklist:

• Conduct a thorough assessment of existing parliamentary procedures for AI integration.

• Implement robust cybersecurity measures for AI systems.

• Develop and implement AI literacy and data literacy programmes for staff and MPs.

• Create a data quality assurance process for AI training data sets.

• Establish a change management plan to address potential job displacement and role changes.

Given these challenges, a cautious and measured approach to AI adoption is advisable for most parliaments. The IPU’s Centre for Innovation in Parliament recommends a step-by-step, risk-based approach.

Creating safe “lab environments” for AI experimentation is a prudent first step. This allows parliaments to explore potential use cases, such as producing summaries of texts or creating records of debates, without risking core parliamentary functions. However, parliaments should be extremely cautious about introducing AI into core legislative systems at this stage.

Maintaining human scrutiny and control is paramount. Any AI-generated outputs must be explainable and subject to expert validation, and the entire system must be auditable. This is essential not only for ensuring accuracy but also for maintaining public trust in parliamentary processes.

Collaboration with other parliaments and external experts can be invaluable in building capacity and sharing best practices. The complexity of AI systems means that individual parliaments working alone may initially lack the skills and knowledge to implement AI-based systems safely and effectively.

AI policies and practices should be regularly reviewed and updated to account for the rapid pace of technological change. Parliaments must remain agile, continuously assessing the impact of AI on their operations and adjusting their approaches accordingly.

Mitigation strategies checklist:

• Create a safe environment for AI experimentation.

• Implement a step-by-step, risk-based approach to AI adoption and monitoring.

• Adopt and, where necessary, adapt these Guidelines to support the safe introduction of AI in parliament according to its organizational culture.

• Develop partnerships with other parliaments and external experts for knowledge-sharing.

The adoption of AI in parliaments offers significant potential benefits but also presents unique challenges. By carefully navigating the strategic, operational and legislative risks, parliaments can harness the power of AI to enhance their effectiveness while safeguarding the essential human elements of democratic representation.

Parliaments have a dual responsibility as both users and regulators of AI technology. They must lead by example in the responsible adoption of AI within their own institutions while also shaping the legislative frameworks that will govern AI use in broader society.

Parliaments therefore have an opportunity to set a standard for responsible AI use that could inform its adoption in other areas of government and in society at large. This positions parliaments at the forefront of defining how AI can be leveraged to strengthen – rather than undermine – democratic processes in the digital age.

The journey of AI adoption in parliaments is just beginning, and the path forward will require ongoing dialogue, rigorous oversight and a commitment to preserving the fundamental values of democratic governance.

The Guidelines for AI in parliaments are published by the IPU in collaboration with the Parliamentary Data Science Hub in the IPU’s Centre for Innovation in Parliament. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence. It may be freely shared and reused with acknowledgement of the IPU. For more information about the IPU’s work on artificial intelligence, please visit www.ipu.org/AI or contact [email protected].

About the guidelines | The role of AI in parliaments | Introducing AI applications | Inter-parliamentary cooperation for AI | Strategic actions towards AI governance | Generic risks and biases | Ethical principles | Risk management | Alignment with national and international AI frameworks and standards | Project portfolio management | Data governance | Systems development | Security management | Training for Data Literacy and AI Literacy | Glossary of terms