Embracing Artificial Intelligence for Smart, Inclusive and Responsive Parliamentary Affairs: An Assessment of Parliament of Zimbabwe in Nurturing Modern Participatory Democracy

This article assesses the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Parliament of Zimbabwe, exploring the potential to create a smart, inclusive, and responsive legislative institution.Despite growing interest, there is limited empirical research on the systematic adoption and impact of AI in Zimbabwe's parliamentary context.This study sought to close that gap in knowledge by examining current AI capabilities, strategic frameworks, and challenges within Zimbabwe's parliamentary processes, situating them within national development goals and regional imperatives.The desk research approach was used, guided by the Digital Governance Model (DGM), and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), with secondary data collected through a review of official documents, journals, newspaper articles, internet sources, and blogs related to AI and parliament processes/ functions at the Parliament of Zimbabwe.The thematic method was used to analyze the data.Findings highlight that the Parliament of Zimbabwe has made the resolve to embrace AI into its legislative processes as demonstrated by the clarity in expected outcomes, incorporation of legal and ethical safeguards, sensitizing its staff and parliamentarians, and fostering strategic partnerships with Universities, Corporates and CSOs.However, Parliament of Zimbabwe is still to come up with a policy framework to guide the process.Furthermore, Parliament of Zimbabwe's AI adoption initiative is threatened by limited digital infrastructure, uneven levels of digital literacy among legislators and staff, lack of local AI models customised for Zimbabwean parliamentary processes, and absence of structured, long-term ecosystem.Recommendations focus on Parliament of Zimbabwe accelerating the development and implementation of an AI policy framework with clear regulatory guidelines, enhancing its digital infrastructure and software (AI models that are customised to Zimbabwe's parliamentary processes), continuous training of staff and parliamentarians, and establishment of a structured, long-term digital ecosystem.It concludes that the Parliament of Zimbabwe is poised to harness AI to become a smart, inclusive and responsive institution.Strategic integration of AI, supported by a well-articulated policy framework, capacity building, ethical governance, and long-term digital ecosystem, can revolutionise legislative processes and citizen participation, advancing Zimbabwe's development aspirations in the digital era.