UAE to use AI to create, regulate laws

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to use artificial intelligence (AI) to write and regulate laws in the Gulf state, in the first such decision to be taken by a nation in the international community.

Last week, ministers in the UAE approved the creation of the Office of Regulatory Intelligence, a new cabinet body intended to oversee the use of AI in the creation of new legislation and the reformation of current legislation.

According to state media, Emirati prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum stated that “this new legislative system, powered by artificial intelligence, will change the way laws are created, making the process faster and more accurate”.

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With the government aiming to use AI to track how laws affect the country’s population and economy, authorities will reportedly establish a massive database of federal and local laws, compiled alongside public sector data including court judgments and government services. As Sheikh Mohammad put it, the AI system would then “regularly suggest updates to our legislation”.

The decision is reportedly expected to speed up the Gulf state’s legislative process by 70 percent, and will enable the AI to anticipate necessary legal changes, potentially saving on costs that governments usually pay to law firms to review legislation.

Critics, however, are increasingly raising concerns over both the ethics and the practicality of such a decision, as there are significant risks associated with the implementation of that technology within lawmaking, including inaccuracies and the differences in which AI would interpret laws as humans do.

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