HoA Staff Explore AI Parliamentary Modernisation
Two Virgin Islands House of Assembly staff members recently attended a regional workshop focused on integrating artificial intelligence and digital tools into parliamentary operations. Held in Miami, the initiative gathered legislative officials from across the Caribbean to explore responsible technology adoption, digital record-keeping, and cybersecurity. The training supports ongoing territorial efforts to enhance legislative efficiency and public accessibility.
Two staff members from the Virgin Islands House of Assembly recently participated in a regional workshop in Miami, Florida, examining how artificial intelligence and emerging digital technologies can be leveraged to modernise parliamentary functions. The workshop, titled "Applying AI and Digital Solutions to Modernise Parliamentary Practice," was held at Florida International University.
It gathered roughly 30 parliamentary professionals from across the Caribbean, including clerks, Hansard editors, information technology specialists, and communications officers. The Virgin Islands was represented by Executive Officer Theresa Penn and Hansard Editor Damian McGowan.
Organised under the Digital Parliaments Project, the event was sponsored by the House Democracy Partnership of the United States House of Representatives in collaboration with ParlAmericas and the POPVOX Foundation. The project aims to assist regional legislatures in strengthening institutional frameworks, digitising official records, and responsibly adopting modern technological tools.
Throughout the sessions, participants explored practical applications of artificial intelligence across various legislative areas, including legislative research, archive preservation, administrative efficiency, and public access to parliamentary information. Key topics also included institutional AI governance, digitisation standards, data privacy, cybersecurity, and the critical need for human oversight to verify AI-assisted outputs.
Penn highlighted the potential for digital tools to streamline operations while emphasizing that technological adoption must not compromise core democratic principles. She noted that the central takeaway of the workshop was that artificial intelligence should assist parliamentary work without replacing the accountability, institutional processes, and human judgment that underpin parliamentary democracy.
McGowan noted that the forum provided valuable insights for the House of Assembly's digital transformation initiatives. He pointed out practical opportunities for the Territory, including AI-assisted Hansard transcription subject to human verification, enhanced searchability of Bills and minutes, and improved public access to legislative archives.
The House of Assembly affirmed that modernisation involves more than acquiring new technology; it demands strong governance, comprehensive staff training, and robust safeguards to protect sensitive and confidential parliamentary information.
Primary source: Guavaberry