Youth Parliamentarians Debate Artificial Intelligence Legislation
The Women Parliamentarians of Tomorrow in the 2026 Cohort of the Youth Electoral Success (YES!) Leadership Programme debated legislation to regulate artificial intelligence and protect citizens’ rights and personal data during a mock sitting of Parliament on Friday.
The motion was brought by the opposition to introduce comprehensive legislation to regulate the use of artificial intelligence, digital technologies and online platforms.
The Prime Minister of the mock sitting of Parliament, Krisann Bedassie, rejected the motion, noting that its one-size-fits-all approach would not address the issues currently facing citizens.
« We agree that these harms are real, but we have an issue: one comprehensive legislation, we cannot teach them now what that means because they need to do their research, but that is not the right instrument to use to address this issue. We believe that it’s not, which is why in six months we hope the members of the opposition and independent members will support us when we bring our hybrid legislative framework, comprising of our existing laws, backed by new legislation, where necessary to protect our citizens from AI misuse, harmful surveillance, and data exploitation. »
The Attorney General at the mock sitting, Jimi Crichlow, elaborated on what the proposed framework would entail.
« We will extensively amend the Data Protection Act to cover personal data, biometric identifiers and AI training datasets. Each Ministry will advance sector-specific provisions reflecting its mandate. Once these amendments are completed, the Act will be fully proclaimed, establishing an enforceable framework that guarantees citizens meaningful rights over their personal data use. »
Concerns about whether the existing laws can address some of the threats posed by artificial intelligence remained consistent on the opposition bench.
However, the Minister of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence and Member for Tabaquite at the mock sitting, Divya Balgobin, assured members that institutional evaluations are already being carried out through the National AI Assessment Initiative.
« Madame Speaker, responsible governments do not regulate emerging technologies blindly. We assess first, we consult widely, then we legislate with precision. »
Following a spirited five-hour debate, the motion was defeated.
