An introduction to the newsletter
Welcome to this newsletter at the intersection of technology and democracy, exploring how AI is reshaping the role of our democratic institutions and priorities of their members.
The transition to a world with advanced AI will impact society, politics and public policy in ways as yet unforeseen. Regulation, oversight and transparency will be critical, placing parliaments at the core of the response. MPs – often non-specialists in highly technical fields – will need to quickly adapt. How can they come up to speed and best use their roles? What support do they need? Where is institutional change required? And what can the public expect? This newsletter will explore these questions, examining challenges and opportunities of transformative AI and solutions to help align technological advancement with democratic principles.
Content will include:
Navigating AI Governance: Emerging issues and approaches to AI governance, focused on the role of parliaments.
Forecasting Impact: Analysis of the benefits and risks of AI, collating research and evidence.
Digests: Updated news and emerging evidence.
Primers: Briefings and links to resources on the essentials of AI.
That’s the basics! Let’s get going.
“There is a long-distance race between humanity’s technological capability, which is like a stallion galloping across the field, and humanity’s wisdom, which is more like a foal on unsteady legs”. Nick Bostrum, Open Philanthropy Project.
In the past year, generative AI has hit the mainstream. Prominent figures have declared ‘the age of AI has begun’ and as a revolutionary technology it will change society, impacting how people learn, create, work, collaborate and govern. Responses have ranged from hope to hysteria and there is a scramble to reply with regulation. However, progress is unpredictable, applications are multi-use and new capabilities emerge all the time. With a field this fast-moving, an understanding of potential challenges and risks – those being realised and also on the horizon - is essential.
Governance responses will shape the application and use of AI and other emerging technologies into the future. We will need well-informed MPs, global partnerships, and agile responses within democratic institutions.
A few personal words
I’ve worked for 15 years in democratic governance for organisations including the UNDP and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. I was in Myanmar for five years during the democratic transition. Since the coup, the country has seen dual use technology purchased under the democratic regime turned against pro-democracy activists.
“To be honest, we did suspect that they were using the technological devices for bad purposes, like surveillance of the people … but the problem is we don’t know what kind of technological devices these would be because we lack knowledge of the technology.” U Thein Tun, former Member of the Parliamentary Budget Committee, Parliament of Myanmar
This experience left me believing that democracy support should include building understanding of, and supporting responses to, emerging technology. Elected representatives will need to understand how to harness its positive aspects while safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms, protecting the public from illiberal uses such blanket surveillance, stifling protest and civic space and targeted disinformation. In the midst of global democratic decline, the linkage between technology and power means there must be coordinated responses from democracies across the global north and south.
At present, there is likely an individual comprehension gap and lack of institutional nimbleness to address fast-moving technological change. We need our democratic institutions to evolve as fast as the technology is evolving. If this happens, I strongly believe that in democratic societies we can come together to realise the benefits of AI and find solutions to its potential risks.
The purpose of this newsletter
Democracy in the AI era will involve a joint effort:
By Parliaments: Understanding AI and aligning governance responses
By the Public: Participating in governance processes and ensuring accountability
By Professionals: Contributing expertise and supporting democratic initiatives
Agencies and organisations supporting democratic governance have a key role to play in developing capacities, building partnerships, catalysing joint action and sharing good practices and innovations.
This newsletter is about getting something done, focusing on what these groups need to understand, how they can act and be supported. It is designed for anyone interested in AI governance, lawmakers and parliamentary staff in the global north and south, international development professionals, civil society organisations and engaged citizens. It is produced with the belief that AI will need to be understood and read by non-experts. I hope it can provide a modest contribution to the conversation.