Imagine this: You’re sitting in the public gallery of the Maltese Parliament, listening intently as the Prime Minister delivers a statement. Suddenly, a screen in front of you starts displaying the speech in real-time, transcribed word for word. This isn’t science fiction; it’s the future that artificial intelligence (AI) could bring to our courtrooms and parliament sittings.

AI’s Leap into Maltese

AI has been transforming industries worldwide, from healthcare to finance. Now, it’s set to revolutionize how we access and understand our own democracy. The Maltese government is exploring the use of AI for real-time transcription of parliamentary and court proceedings in Maltese.

This isn’t just about convenience. It’s about accessibility. For the hard of hearing, for those who struggle with Malti, for anyone who wants to follow proceedings closely but can’t take notes fast enough, this could be a breakthrough.

How Does It Work?

AI transcription systems use speech recognition technology to convert spoken words into written text. They’ve come a long way since their early, often inaccurate beginnings. Today’s systems, powered by machine learning, can achieve high accuracy rates, even with Maltese.

Take Microsoft’s Azure Speech Service, for instance. It uses AI to transcribe audio files, with support for over 120 languages, including Maltese. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start. And it’s a start that the Maltese government is seriously considering.

Piloting the Future

In the heart of Malta’s capital, Valletta, the government is piloting this technology. The Court of Appeal has been using AI for transcription since late last year. The feedback? Positive. The accuracy? Improving.

“It’s not perfect yet,” admits a court official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “But it’s getting there. And the potential is huge. Imagine being able to provide transcripts of court proceedings to the public in real-time. That’s transparency.”

Next up? The Parliament. If the pilot is successful, we could see AI transcribing parliamentary proceedings as early as next year.

But it’s not just about the technology. It’s about the people. “We need to ensure that this technology is used ethically and responsibly,” says Dr. Maria Attard, a tech ethicist at the University of Malta. “We need to protect privacy, ensure accuracy, and make sure it’s used to enhance democracy, not undermine it.”

And that’s the challenge. To harness AI’s power for good. To make our democracy more accessible, more transparent. To let everyone, regardless of their hearing or language skills, participate fully in our democracy.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about the technology. It’s about the people. It’s about us.