The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the pioneering nation to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into the processes of drafting, reviewing, and amending laws. While several countries are exploring the use of AI to enhance efficiency in tasks such as summarizing legislative drafts and improving public services, the UAE has taken a more advanced approach by actively proposing changes to existing laws based on the analysis of legal and governmental data, as reported by the Financial Times. This initiative is being referred to as “AI-powered regulation” by state media.
UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum remarked, “This new AI-powered legislative system will change the way we legislate, making the process faster and more accurate.” Furthermore, the UAE has established a new cabinet body specifically dedicated to promoting the incorporation of AI in the legislative domain.
The UAE intends to utilize AI to monitor the effects of legislation on its population and economy. To facilitate this, a comprehensive database will be developed that integrates federal and local laws alongside public sector data, such as court rulings and government services. According to Sheikh Mohammed, AI will have the capability to “regularly suggest updates to our laws.” The government anticipates that this integration of AI could accelerate the legislative process by as much as 70%.
Nevertheless, experts have raised concerns regarding potential challenges associated with this initiative. Critics highlight that the reasoning behind AI decisions may not be transparent, questioning whether AI can interpret and apply the law in a manner comparable to human understanding. Vincent Straub, a researcher at the University of Oxford, emphasized that AI models can lead to misunderstandings and exhibit reliability and robustness issues, stating, “We cannot trust AI.”
Despite these concerns, Straub acknowledged the innovative aspect of the UAE’s plan, which involves using AI to forecast necessary future changes to laws. This forward-thinking initiative has the potential not only to enhance the legislative process but also to reduce costs for law firms engaged in these matters.