From June 12th to 14th, 2024, the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, in partnership with Bússola Tech, hosted a groundbreaking conference titled "LegisTech: Artificial Intelligence in Parliaments." Held in Valparaiso, Chile, this three-day event brought together parliamentary leaders, technology experts, and administrators to explore the transformative potential of AI within legislative processes.

Day 1: June 12, 2024

The event began with opening remarks from the Right Honourable Karol Cariola Oliva, President of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, Mr. Miguel Landeros Perkic from the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, and Mr. Luís Kimaid from Bússola Tech. Inter-Parliamentary Organisations remarks were delivered by Ms. Anabella Zavagno from ParlAmericas, Mr. Jose Pedro Montero from the Association of Secretaries-General of Parliaments (ASGP), and Mr. Moises Benamor from the Organization of American States (OAS).

The first panel discussion, moderated by Mr. Luís Kimaid, explored the diverse applications of AI in parliamentary services. Participants included Mr. Ahto Saks from the Riigikogu of Estonia, Ms. Natalie Foster from the House of Commons of Canada, Hon. Eric Aedo from the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, Mr. Jonathan Ruckert from NovaWorks Australia, and Ms. Paloma Rios from Microsoft. This session highlighted AI's role in legislative research, document management, and administrative efficiency, offering insights into current implementations.

Mr. Jonathan Ruckert from NovaWorks Australia then provided an in-depth presentation on the current state of generative AI in parliaments. He discussed how AI technologies are being utilized to streamline legislative operations, improve accuracy, and enhance overall productivity.

Following this, Mr. Ahto Saks from the Parliament of Estonia shared advancements in speech-to-text technologies, emphasizing their potential to improve efficiency in documenting legislative proceedings. Mr. Ludovic Delepine from the EU Parliament presented on the use of retrieval-augmented generation in parliaments, detailing how this technology can support legislative research and policy analysis by integrating advanced AI models with existing legislative management systems.

The day concluded with a comprehensive presentation by Mr. João Lima, Mr. Victor Marcel Pinheiro, and Mr. Orlando Cavalcante Neto from the Senado Federal of Brazil. They discussed the impact of AI on the lawmaking process, focusing on how AI can support legislative drafting, amendment management, and comparative analysis, ultimately enhancing the quality and efficiency of legislative work.

Day 2: June 13, 2024

The second day began with a presentation by Ms. Natalie Foster and Mr. Christopher Henry from the House of Commons of Canada, discussing their integration of AI into a user-satisfaction digital strategy. They provided a detailed account of how AI tools have been deployed to improve service delivery and enhance the overall user experience for both parliamentarians and the public.

Ms. Jessica Smith from the U.S. House of Representatives followed with a presentation on AI governance and guardrails. She addressed the critical issues of ethical considerations, data privacy, and bias mitigation in AI implementation, offering guidelines and best practices for responsible AI usage in Parliaments.

Mr. Miguel Landeros Perkic from the Chamber of Deputies of Chile then presented the CAMINAR Project, which focuses on retrieval-augmented generation on legislative data and operations. They showcased how AI-driven tools are being used to assist in legislative drafting, providing real-time comparative analysis and enhancing the legislative process's overall efficiency and accuracy.

The afternoon featured a panel discussion moderated by Mr. Luis Rojas Gallardo from the Chamber of Deputies of Chile on ensuring trust in the legislative process through AI. Panelists included Mr. Victor Marcel Pinheiro from the Senado Federal of Brazil, Mr. Jose Pedro Montero from the Cámara de Senadores of Uruguay, Ms. Graciela Báez Ricardez from the Cámara de Diputados of Mexico, and Mr. Moises Benamor from the Organization of American States. The discussion centered on building and maintaining trust in AI-enhanced legislative process, addressing transparency, accountability, and ethical considerations.

Dr. Fotis Fitsilis from the Hellenic Parliament provided insights into the recent developments and impacts of generative AI on parliamentary functions. He discussed how these advancements are shaping legislative workflows and improving decision-making processes.

Mr. Asif Bhatti and Mr. James Donovan from OpenAI concluded the day's sessions with a presentation on the practical applications of OpenAI's generative AI technologies in parliamentary settings. They highlighted case studies and examples of how these tools are being used to enhance legislative efficiency and support various parliamentary functions.

Day 3: June 14, 2024

The final day opened with a panel discussion on the future deployments of AI-embarked services in parliaments, moderated by Mr. Luís Kimaid from Bússola Tech. Participants included Mr. João Lima from the Senado Federal of Brazil, Mr. Asif Bhatti from OpenAI, Ms. Jessica Smith from the U.S. House of Representatives, Mr. Christopher Henry from the House of Commons of Canada, and Mr. Brahma Mishra from MeetMonk. The panel explored emerging trends, priorities for future AI deployments, and strategic planning for AI integration in parliamentary operations.

Mr. Brahma Mishra from MeetMonk and Mr. Satpal Gulati from the Parliament of India presented an investigation into the new paradigm of communication in multilingual parliaments. They discussed how AI technologies are being leveraged to facilitate communication and streamline operations in parliaments with multiple official languages.

Mr. Claudio Nazareno and Mr. André Galvão from the Câmara dos Deputados of Brazil presented on the creation of a legislative predictive AI suite. They showcased how AI-powered predictive analytics tools are being developed and implemented to support legislative decision-making and enhance parliamentary operations' overall effectiveness.

Ms. Virginia Carmona and Mr. Esteban Sanchez from the Chamber of Deputies of Chile discussed the introduction of generative AI in administrative tasks within parliament. They provided examples of how AI is being used to streamline administrative processes, improve efficiency, and reduce operational costs.

Mr. Sebastian Palacios from Microsoft presented on responsible AI, focusing on enabling innovation while managing risks. He outlined Microsoft's vision for generative AI and shared best practices for balancing innovation with ethical and responsible AI usage.

The conference concluded with a panel discussion on the main challenges and risks for AI implementation in parliaments, moderated by Mr. Miguel Landeros Perkic from the Chamber of Deputies of Chile. Participants included Mr. Ludovic Delepine from the EU Parliament, Dr. Fotis Fitsilis from the Hellenic Parliament, Mr. Jonathan Ruckert from NovaWorks Australia, Mr. Claudio Nazareno from the Câmara dos Deputados of Brazil, and Ms. María Francisca Yáñez from Microsoft. The discussion addressed the ethical, practical, and technical challenges of AI integration, offering solutions and strategies for effective implementation.

Closing remarks were given by Mr. Luís Kimaid and Mr. Miguel Landeros, followed by a recognition ceremony for the CAMINAR Project. This symposium provided a crucial platform for sharing knowledge and fostering dialogue on AI's role in modernizing legislative processes. The collective insights and discussions from this event will significantly contribute to the ongoing efforts to harness AI's potential in parliaments worldwide, ensuring more efficient, transparent, and responsive legislative operations.

A more detailed report will be produced to further elaborate on the discussions and insights shared during this significant event, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into the legislative sphere.