A Scottish Member of Parliament (MP) is utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to hold the UK government accountable for dodging questions. Owen Thompson MP became frustrated with the frequency of unanswered questions from government ministers and has now developed an AI program to analyze their responses. Thompson hopes that by using AI to scrutinize government answers, transparency and public trust in politics can be restored.
Thompson’s motivation for using AI stemmed from an incident in which he accused Penny Mordaunt of evading questions by using a “Jedi mind trick.” He fed official questions and answers from Hansard, the official report of Parliamentary debates, into an AI program to determine if the responses adequately addressed the original inquiries.
Thompson aims to analyze up to 20 questions and answers in the parliamentary chamber and present evidence of evasive answers to Mordaunt, the Leader of the House of Commons. He encourages fellow MPs from all parties to contribute questions and answers for analysis. Thompson believes that this initiative is crucial because constant non-answers undermine faith in the political process, making people question the importance of voting or caring about politics.
Recent preliminary results from the AI analysis indicate that the UK government frequently evades issues when answering questions. Thompson highlighted a case where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did not directly address a question from SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn. The AI analysis revealed that Sunak stated his position on the issue of asylum seekers but failed to address whether he would apologize for a controversial bet. Thompson argues that this level of cynicism and lack of transparency in the government is dangerous, especially when extremists are trying to undermine freedom and democracy.
Fellow Scottish MPs have welcomed Thompson’s use of AI as a step toward rebuilding trust and engagement in politics. Thompson emphasizes that holding politicians accountable is a cross-party effort that requires the use of AI as a force for good. However, Penny Mordaunt, the Commons leader, questions why Thompson is relying on AI to do his job as an elected representative.
The AI analysis has already provided insight into how the government answers questions. An analysis of a question about reducing the environmental impact of disposable vaping products revealed that the government acknowledged the issue but lacked specific details on concrete actions. Similarly, another question about calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza received a response that did not directly address the concerns raised.
Thompson hopes that by utilizing AI, the UK government can be held accountable for its answers and that this will usher in a new era of trust, accountability, and participatory governance. The use of AI in analyzing parliamentary questions and answers has the potential to enhance transparency and restore public faith in the political process.
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