‘Parliament should embrace AI to enhance legislative processes’

SPEAKER of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, has emphasised the need for the legislature to embrace innovation and explore the benefits of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve data analysis and execution of other duties.

Officiating at the recent Africa Colloquium of Legal Counsels to Parliaments in Victoria Falls, he said Counsels to Parliaments should move with the digital technological times through deliberate exposure to digital technologies.

By attending the Colloquium, Counsels to Parliaments learnt a lot about their field and expertise in scrutinising Bills tabled in Parliaments by the executive through close interface with Parliamentary Legal Committees and Select Committees.

Counterparts from Kenya, Botswana, Malawi and the Pan African Parliament attended the event under the theme: “Law Making, Oversight and Innovation: The Centrality of Legal Offices in Legislatures”.

“There is now consensus amongst Counsels to Parliaments that there is a need to acclimatise to the application of digital technologies, which are driven by Artificial Intelligence in the law-making process,” said Adv Mudenda in a speech read on his behalf by Deputy President of the Senate, Lieutenant General (Retired) Mike Nyambuya.

“To that end, Counsels to Parliaments must be schooled in the phenomenon of AI, which is the development of computer systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence, whereby machine learning, deep learning and natural language processing as tools in the digitalised law-making matrix that can be applied,” he said.

“The use of data analytics and algorithms for predictability of the legal impact of legislation are measures that command attention for Counsels to Parliaments.”
Ironically, Adv Mudenda said the application of AI must be deployed to ensure that digital technology is applied responsibly and ethically following moral principles, societal values and inalienable human rights.

He said Zimbabwe has taken a leading stand and established the “Committee of The Future” to be the telescope that will conceptually define the Zimbabwe Parliamentary ecosystem for the next 50 years, underpinned by AI.

Adv Mudenda called for collaboration in interrogating the centrality of legal offices in legislatures in the law-making and oversight processes, which must be underpinned by innovation to improve solutions that generate positive change.

“As you deploy AI in your legal tasks, do appreciate the predication of AI on science, technology and innovation. In carrying out this hallowed responsibility, Counsels to Parliaments would be advancing the oversight role of Parliamentary Select Committees in the legislative agenda,” he said.

Despite the possible negative impacts of the use of science, technology and innovation as driven by AI, Adv Mudenda said there is a positive balance in the application of AI in legislatures through the legal expertise of Counsels to Parliaments.

AI can be used to analyse Bills, make accurate comparative scrutiny of laws, contribute to peace-building and socio-economic development, harmonise trade, immigration and customs laws as well as Information Communication Technology legislation and boost the movement of goods and services within Africa.

Adv Mudenda urged the African Colloquium of Counsels to Parliaments to rally their legal experiences and save Africa from economic imperialism by ensuring that International Agreements and Treaties vouch for Africa’s resources value addition and beneficiation in the spirit of Agenda 2063 and the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement.

“Africa must leverage digital technologies in these legislative harmonisation efforts. However, much depends on the degree of internet penetration.
“To date, Africa is at 46 percent internet penetration thereby leaving 600 million Africans out of reach of the digital technologies, especially in the use of Artificial Intelligence,” said Adv Mudenda.

Speaking at the same platform, the president of the Africa Colloquium of Legal Counsel to Parliaments, Ms Elizabeth Hove, said while complexities of governance continuously evolve, it is crucial to progress with them and ensure that members remain the legal backbone of legislative frameworks, providing the necessary guidance required to ensure that laws are not only effective but also equitable.