MEPs have backed a resolution calling for closer parliamentary scrutiny and regulation of how artificial intelligence is used in EU democratic processes, public administration and the protection of fundamental rights.
The text on the institutional aspects of AI in European integration was adopted on Thursday by 405 votes to 133, with 60 abstentions, the European Parliament announced.
MEPs said AI could support EU lawmaking, including evidence-based policymaking and the simplification and evaluation of EU legislation, while insisting its use in EU institutions should remain “human-centred” and subject to human oversight.
They also said AI should not replace human political responsibility or lead to purely automated political decisions.
Calls for European tools, international rules and an EP “AI observatory”
European AI tools should be prioritised, particularly within EU institutions, and the EU should “scale up European technology” and ensure “strategic autonomy” across the AI value chain, the European Parliament said.
MEPs also called for an international agreement on technologies with global security and societal implications, modelled on nuclear non-proliferation, with the EU taking a leading role.
The resolution said AI is increasingly shaping political communication, electoral processes, public discourse and decision-making, and called for systematic parliamentary assessments of risks and opportunities as well as a reform of European electoral law.
MEPs also proposed adding new rights to the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, including protection of personal identity and likeness and “algorithmic transparency” — meaning clearer information about how automated systems make or influence decisions.
The report proposed a budget-neutral administrative unit called a “European Parliament AI observatory” to support parliamentary committees, including evaluating the effects of AI-related laws after they are in place and analysing AI’s impact on democratic processes and the balance between EU institutions.
