Can AI Help Us Understand What Happens in Parliament?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a hot topic in political discussions, especially regarding its potential to increase transparency and accessibility. In a recent episode of the Campaign Lab podcast, the conversation centred on a fascinating AI tool designed to make the complex and often inaccessible language and norms of parliamentary debates more understandable to the general public. Campaign Labber and tech enthusiast Jethro Reeves introduced the project “WhatGov,” a tool that uses AI to translate parliamentary debates into a more digestible format, offering an innovative solution to a long-standing problem in democratic engagement.

The Inspiration Behind WhatGov

Jethro’s journey to creating WhatGov began at Newspeak House in Shoreditch, a hub for civic technologists and campaigners. He was drawn to Campaign Lab by a desire to learn coding through practical projects, and Campaign Lab provided the perfect environment to dive in. Upon arriving, Jethro was quickly introduced to a list of challenges faced by campaigners, which led to the development of WhatGov—a tool designed to tackle the complicated and opaque language used in Parliament.

Hansard, the official record of everything said in Parliament, has been maintained for over 150 years, but it is written in formal, often convoluted English. For most people, reading through parliamentary debates is tedious and challenging, despite the importance of these discussions. Jethro saw an opportunity to make this information more accessible using AI. The idea was simple: feed the text from Hansard into an AI model and output it in a conversational format that feels more like a chat over WhatsApp.

Making Parliament Accessible

WhatGov takes the lengthy, formal speeches from Parliament and translates them into easy-to-read, conversational summaries. Jethro’s project uses a pipeline that feeds parliamentary debates into an AI system, which then processes and condenses them. The result is a more concise, user-friendly format that mimics a chat interface. Users can even click on messages to expand them, revealing the original text—a feature that makes it easy to see just how much unnecessary verbiage is used in parliamentary speeches.

Jethro highlighted the tool’s ability to condense large amounts of text into bite-sized pieces, making it easier for people to stay informed about political decisions that impact their lives. For example, many parliamentary debates could be summarised in a single sentence, which underscores just how much “noise” exists in these discussions. This simplification is crucial for helping the public engage more with parliamentary proceedings, which are often overlooked due to their complexity.

Engaging the Public with Democracy

One of the key goals of WhatGov is to encourage greater public engagement in the democratic process. Jethro envisions a future where users can sign up to receive updates on specific issues, such as climate change or local matters like potholes. By making it easier for people to track what their MPs are saying in Parliament, WhatGov could help foster more active communication between citizens and their representatives.

Jethro acknowledges that one of the challenges with such a tool is getting people to engage with it consistently. People rarely return to websites, so the next step for WhatGov might be integrating it directly into platforms people already use, such as WhatsApp, or turning it into a newsletter that people can easily access. The ultimate aim is to remove barriers to understanding what happens in Parliament and encourage people to hold their MPs accountable.

AI and Democracy: A Growing Trend

AI’s role in this project highlights its potential for making information more accessible, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. While the UK may not be at the forefront of AI-driven political campaigns compared to other countries like India, where deepfakes and blurred lines between reality and fiction have already made headlines, there’s still room for AI to grow in British politics. Jethro sees the current election cycle as more of a trial phase for AI tools in politics. However, he predicts that the next election may see a significant increase in the use of AI technologies.

Despite the excitement surrounding AI, Jethro is realistic about the hurdles that remain. AI tools like WhatGov are meant to enhance human understanding, not replace it. He believes that while AI can help bridge the gap between citizens and the complex processes of democracy, its effectiveness depends on whether people choose to engage with these tools.

The Future of Parliamentary Engagement

As for what the future holds, Jethro is cautiously optimistic but also realistic. He predicts that significant changes in how Parliament communicates may take longer than expected. The system is slow to adapt, and unless projects like WhatGov gain widespread traction, the traditional, formal style of Hansard may remain the norm. However, Jethro hopes that his tool will continue to evolve, perhaps even automating live updates in real time as MPs speak, making it easier for people to keep track of what’s happening in government.

Interestingly, Jethro also touched on the potential unintended consequences of making parliamentary debates more accessible. If more people start paying attention to what their MPs are saying, it could change how MPs communicate. Knowing that their words are being easily shared and summarised could influence the way debates are conducted, for better or worse.

Sharing Knowledge and Collaboration

Jethro’s experience building WhatGov reflects a broader lesson about the power of collaboration and knowledge-sharing within the Campaign Lab community. One of his key takeaways was the importance of learning from others and being willing to share expertise. He credits fellow Campaign Lab member Leo with helping him refine the technical aspects of the project, emphasising that the more people share their knowledge, the more everyone benefits.

Conclusion: AI as a Tool for Transparency

WhatGov represents a significant step toward making the inner workings of Parliament more transparent and accessible to everyday citizens. By using AI to condense parliamentary debates into a more user-friendly format, Jethro and the Campaign Lab community are working to bridge the gap between the public and their representatives. While AI’s role in politics is still evolving, tools like WhatGov demonstrate its potential to enhance democratic engagement and accountability.As we look to the future, AI’s impact on politics is likely to grow, but its success will depend on how effectively it is used to serve the public. For now, WhatGov offers a promising glimpse of what’s possible when technology and civic engagement come together. Try it out today.