Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Shri Harivansh has underscored that the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in legislatures must be firmly grounded in human institutional wisdom, democratic accountability and ethical restraint. Speaking at a high-level workshop on AI adoption in Parliament during the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth in New Delhi, he cautioned that while innovation is essential, it must be carefully balanced with responsibility, transparency and human oversight.
“AI in Parliament Must Be Accountable, Contextual and Trustworthy”
Highlighting the sensitivity of legislative institutions, Shri Harivansh stated that AI systems introduced into Parliament cannot be treated like generic technological tools. They must be:
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Accountable to democratic institutions
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Context-aware to parliamentary traditions
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Trustworthy in content and outcomes
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Anchored in institutional knowledge built over decades
He stressed that parliamentary processes are shaped by precedents, conventions, constitutional practices, rulings and debates, and these cannot be meaningfully understood without deep human involvement.
Institutional Memory is Irreplaceable
Explaining the need for a hybrid approach to AI development, the Deputy Chairman observed:
“Skills can be acquired or outsourced. Knowledge, however, is contextual and deeply embedded within the institution. Parliamentary knowledge is unique.”
He emphasised that just as humans carry institutional memory into new roles, AI systems designed for legislatures must be trained using human institutional wisdom, making human knowledge central to any credible and accountable AI framework for governance.
Balancing Innovation and Restraint
Shri Harivansh cautioned against both technological excess and excessive conservatism, stating:
“Innovation without restraint carries risk, while restraint without innovation can lead to stagnation.”
He called for a deliberate, balanced approach, where:
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AI supports efficiency
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Humans retain final authority
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Oversight mechanisms remain strong
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Ethical safeguards are non-negotiable
According to him, human intervention must remain integral to any AI-enabled parliamentary system.
AI Already Supporting Parliamentary Work in India
The Deputy Chairman also shared practical examples of how AI is already being responsibly integrated into the Indian Parliament’s functioning.
These include:
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AI-assisted translation of parliamentary documents
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Analysis of debates
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Assistance in framing questions
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Functionality across 22 Indian languages
A major achievement highlighted was the development of a Parliamentary Language Dictionary containing nearly 48,000 specialised terms, which has been integrated into a custom AI model built exclusively for parliamentary use.
He clarified that:
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AI is functioning only as a support tool
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Human translators remain fully in control
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The customised model has significantly improved accuracy and user acceptance
Ethics, Truth and Democratic Accountability Must Guide AI
Reiterating the philosophical foundation for AI use in democratic institutions, Shri Harivansh stated:
“Artificial Intelligence in Parliament must be rooted in truth, bound by ethics, guided by human judgment, and accountable to democratic values.”
This framework, he said, must define the global approach to AI deployment in legislative spaces.
Call for Greater Cooperation Among Commonwealth Parliaments
In his concluding remarks, the Deputy Chairman urged stronger collaboration among Commonwealth legislatures on responsible AI adoption. He suggested that sharing best practices, ethical frameworks and institutional safeguards would help democracies harness technology without undermining core democratic principles.
Global Parliamentary Platform Hosted by India
The workshop formed part of the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, a prestigious international parliamentary gathering.
India is hosting the conference for the fourth time, having previously hosted it in:
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1971
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1986
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2010
The conference was inaugurated earlier by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the Central Hall of Parliament (Samvidhan Sadan).
Conclusion
Shri Harivansh’s address offers a powerful blueprint for the future of AI in democratic institutions. By positioning human institutional wisdom, ethics, accountability and democratic values at the centre of technological adoption, India is articulating a globally relevant model for responsible governance innovation. The message is clear: AI can assist democracy, but it must never replace human judgment in the service of constitutional values.
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Source: PIB
