AI as an Enabler of Digital Participation? Early Lessons from Policy and Lawmaking

Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have rekindled interest in the technology's potential to increase digital participation in legislative and policy processes, especially by reducing obstacles to engagement, access, and comprehension. Using evidence from pilot projects and real-world applications in democratic governance, this paper examines early attempts to incorporate AI-based tools into participatory mechanisms. It looks at how AI has been used to support digital democratic innovations, including the processing of massive amounts of participatory contributions, the summarization of policy documents, and the facilitation of input collection. The study also critically evaluates the risks and difficulties brought about by these developments, including concerns about accountability, transparency, bias, power imbalances, and the possible deterioration of deliberative quality. This study emphasizes the advantages and disadvantages of AI-supported participation by placing these early experiences within larger discussions on digital democracy and participatory governance. The paper concludes that as long as human intermediaries continue to be in charge of oversight and verification, AI can be a useful tool for synthesizing and simplifying complex texts. However, it warns against the blind application of AI in more complex participatory and deliberative processes.