European Parliament bars lawmakers from using AI tools

European Parliament disables device AI features

The European Parliament disabled built-in AI features on all official mobile devices and tablets this week. IT staff issued the directive after determining they could not guarantee the security of sensitive data processed by these tools. The ban affects 705 lawmakers and thousands of parliamentary staffers who use government-issued hardware for daily operations.

The Parliament’s IT department sent a formal notification to staff explaining that certain AI assistants require cloud-based processing to function. This architecture forces data to leave the device and travel to external servers managed by third-party vendors. The administration decided to cut access until they can fully assess the privacy risks associated with these external connections.

This decision targets specific productivity tools that use large language models to assist users. While the ban is currently described as temporary, officials have not provided a specific timeline for when these features might return. The move highlights a growing rift between the rapid rollout of consumer AI and the strict data protection standards required by high-level government bodies.

Cloud processing creates security gaps

The primary concern involves features like automated email summarization and predictive text generation. These services often rely on "off-device" processing, where the content of a message is uploaded to a company’s server to generate a response. The European Parliament’s tech support desk noted that the full extent of data sharing remains unclear for many of these evolving services.

Security experts have warned that confidential legislative drafts or private diplomatic communications could inadvertently train commercial AI models. If a staffer summarizes a sensitive document using an unvetted AI tool, that information could technically reside on a private corporation's server indefinitely. The Parliament considers this an unacceptable risk to institutional integrity and GDPR compliance.

The ban specifically targets integrated AI "assistants" rather than standard utility applications. Lawmakers can still use their basic calendar apps, standard email clients, and system settings. The IT department is currently auditing the following types of AI-driven functionality:

• Email summarization tools that condense long threads into bullet points.
• Predictive writing assistants that suggest complete sentences based on context.
• Third-party AI plugins that request broad access to system files and contacts.
• Voice-to-text transcription services that process audio in the cloud.

Lawmakers must follow their rules

The European Parliament recently passed the EU AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence. By disabling these features on their own devices, the Parliament is attempting to model the cautious approach it expects from the private sector. The IT department’s memo explicitly advised staffers against granting third-party apps broad permissions to access parliamentary data.

This internal policy shift mirrors a broader trend of "shadow AI" in the workplace. Employees across various industries frequently use unauthorized AI tools to speed up their work, often leaking trade secrets or proprietary code in the process. For a legislative body, the stakes are higher, as leaked data could impact international relations or market-sensitive regulations.

The Parliament’s guidance emphasizes that lawmakers should not use any AI service for official business unless the IT department has vetted it. This includes popular web-based chatbots and mobile apps that offer to "clean up" notes or draft speeches. The administration wants to prevent a scenario where sensitive political strategy ends up in a dataset owned by a foreign tech giant.

The hardware industry faces skepticism

This ban arrives just as major hardware vendors like Apple, Microsoft, and Google are centering their entire product lineups around AI features. Companies have marketed "AI PCs" and smartphones with dedicated Neural Processing Units (NPUs) designed to handle these tasks locally. The goal of on-device AI is to keep data on the hardware, supposedly eliminating the need for cloud transfers.

However, the European Parliament’s IT experts remain unconvinced by these marketing claims. Even on devices with powerful NPUs, many advanced AI tasks still "hand off" data to the cloud when the local processor reaches its limit. The Parliament stated that the full extent of data shared with service providers is still being assessed by their technical teams.

The skepticism from Brussels could pose a significant challenge for the tech industry's "AI-first" transition. If government bodies and highly regulated industries block these features by default, the market for premium AI hardware may shrink. Vendors must now prove that their "on-device" promises are technically verifiable and legally sound under European law.

Future assessments and data safety

The IT department is currently conducting a technical deep dive into how various operating systems handle AI requests. They are looking for specific "leakage" points where metadata or partial transcripts might be sent to external servers without explicit user consent. Until they can confirm a zero-leakage environment, the features will remain dormant on official tablets and phones.

Other European institutions may follow the Parliament's lead. The European Commission and the European Council maintain similar security protocols and often coordinate their IT policies. If the ban spreads, it could force tech companies to develop "Sovereign AI" versions of their software specifically for the European market.

For now, MEPs must return to manual note-taking and traditional email management. The administration has made it clear that convenience does not override security. While the tech industry moves at a breakneck pace, the European Parliament is choosing to hit the brakes until the safety of its data is a certainty rather than a corporate promise.