By Should Legislators Use AI To Write Complex Laws?
Like it or not, AI is producing volumes of increasingly complex legislation. Legislators are apparently happy that it saves their brains for more important things. Meanwhile, the lobbying industry is going hog wild with AI to crank out complex legalese to hand to legislators. Do we want our “rule of law” taken over by AI?
– Commentary by Patrick Wood, Editor of Technocracy News
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is writing law today. This has required no changes in legislative procedure or the rules of legislative bodies—all it takes is one legislator, or legislative assistant, to use generative AI in the process of drafting a bill.
In fact, the use of AI by legislators is only likely to become more prevalent. There are currently projects in the US House, US Senate, and legislatures around the world to trial the use of AI in various ways: searching databases, drafting text, summarizing meetings, performing policy research and analysis, and more. A Brazilian municipality passed the first known AI-written law in 2023.
That’s not surprising; AI is being used more everywhere. What is coming into focus is how policymakers will use AI and, critically, how this use will change the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches of government. Soon, US legislators may turn to AI to help them keep pace with the increasing complexity of their lawmaking—and this will suppress the power and discretion of the executive branch to make policy.
Demand for Increasingly Complex Legislation
Legislators are writing increasingly long, intricate, and complicated laws that human legislative drafters have trouble producing. Already in the US, the multibillion-dollar lobbying industry is subsidizing lawmakers in writing baroque laws: suggesting paragraphs to add to bills, specifying benefits for some, carving out exceptions for others. Indeed, the lobbying industry is growing in complexity and influence worldwide. Read Full Article >
