“Parliament must gain control over the use of algorithms”

The government is increasingly using algorithms in the application of laws and regulations. It is the responsibility of Parliament to ensure that this is done in a responsible manner. However, various reports suggest that parliamentarians lack sufficient knowledge of AI to adequately assess the use of such systems. PhD researcher Juliette Ermers from the AI Lab for Public Services is investigating how Parliament can gain control over the algorithmic application.

Two days a week, PhD researcher Juliette Ermers is in The Hague. There, she works as a staff member for the Digitalisation Committee of the Senate, supporting senators when legislative proposals concerning digitalisation are on the agenda. “I need to ensure that they are well-prepared when handling legislative proposals in the field of digitalisation and AI,” says Ermers. “Additionally, we are working on increasing their knowledge of digital matters in various ways, such as organising expert meetings and field visits.”

According to Ermers, who studied in Tilburg, this upskilling of Senate members is incredibly important. “Agencies like the Tax Office and the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) work daily with complex algorithmic systems, but due to the inherent opacity of these systems, it is difficult for members of Parliament to understand how they work technically. Moreover, developments are happening at lightning speed. This makes it challenging to meaningfully assess the work of these agencies, which are ultimately under ministerial responsibility.”

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