Parliament and Shura Council start using AI
PARLIAMENT and the Shura Council are aiming to boost the efficiency and accuracy of their legislative work with the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) and modern digital technology.
The National Assembly has already introduced the first phases of a strategic transformation from conventional to ‘cybernetic’ operations.
They include electronic records of sessions using AI, in addition to oral commands for transcriptions, corrections and other checks.
Also, all sessions are now assembled, indexed and analysed through a modern digital technology module.
Voting, the submission of proposals and access of information, is now made available to MPs and Shura Council members through their smartphones.
The Bahraini experience was shared yesterday by Parliament’s secretary-general Rashid Bunajma and Shura secretary-general Kareema Al Abbasi at the 10th Annual GCC Parliamentary Secretary-Generals Assembly gathering in Doha.
The two-day event, which concludes today, is under the theme ‘Digital Democracy and Social Media and Ways to Enhance It’.
“We’re on top of all legislative-support advancements across the world and changes are an ongoing process,” said Mr Bunajma. “The more we go hi-tech the better our democratic process and public involvement becomes,” he added.
“The conventional way of operating is not enough nowadays and we need to ease the workload while maintaining, enhancing and developing efficiency and accuracy, alongside public accessibility.
“There is an AI and digital revolution storming the world and putting it into use as tools for legislators is what we have started working on, reaching an advanced stage as we further progress.”
Ms Al Abbasi said new options have been made available for legislators to carry out their work and obligations in a fast and efficient manner.
“There is a digitalisation plan that we are keen to take to greater heights,” she said. “We have already launched smart voting, electronic records, computer-aided meetings and the digitalised parliamentary library with an archive that can be easily searched,” she said.
“Also, we have interactions with people on all social media platforms and apps, which allows feedback and the involvement of the public in discussed topics and parliamentary work.
“All AI and digital systems have been developed from their emergency introduction during the Covid-19 pandemic. It provided an opportunity to test remote access and work, and we have evolved our operations since then.”
Meanwhile, the first Arab Parliamentary Media Gathering started yesterday at the Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence and Spa, Manama.
The three-day event, which concludes tomorrow, is being held under the patronage of National Assembly and Parliament Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam and Shura Council Chairman Ali Saleh Al Saleh.
Speaking at the event were Arab Parliament Speaker Adel Al Asoomi, Parliament first deputy speaker Abdulnabi Salman and Shura’s first vice-chairman Jamal Fakhro and it has been agreed that networking will continue to be strengthened to improve communication across the region.
Source: https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1290889/Parliament-and-Shura-Council-start-using-AI
