Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers at the University of Malta are about to make the PQViz app available to the public. The app shows links and interactions between MPs and ministers, displaying written questions submitted by MPs and answers given by the government.

The researchers are working to add other functionalities, including extrapolation of data, and displaying topic trends.

The imminent availability of the app was announced on 19 May by Malta’s Information Technology Agency (MITA), sponsor of the project.

PQViz is being developed at the Department of Artificial Intelligence (Faculty of ICT) at the University of Malta. The department’s Apps4parliament project aims to improve access to parliamentary data. An article published by Think, the university’s quarterly science magazine, highlights the need for tools to deal with the amount of information generated by the parliament: “In this current legislature alone, almost 30,000 Parliamentary Questions have already been made. The problem lies not only with its bulk, but also with its indiscernible format.”

In addition to developing PQViz with MITA, the researchers are also working with the Office of the Speaker of Malta’s parliament, to develop several apps with the aim of opening parliamentary data, and improving search and accessibility.

MITA has yet to respond to questions on when the PQViz application will be available.

More information:

Apps4parliament (Think website)
TV Malta news item
Independent news item
Clarin Eric workshop
Announcement by MITA
ePractice news item