The European Parliament’s Archives Unit has developed Archibot, an innovative AI-powered tool designed to enhance access to the institution’s extensive legislative archives. By using a method known as Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), Archibot combines the capabilities of large language models with authoritative archival sources to deliver accurate, context-rich responses to user queries.

Originally optimized for French-language searches, Archibot now supports multiple languages, including English, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, and others—reflecting the multilingual nature of the European Union. The tool enables users to perform a range of complex tasks, such as retrieving relevant documents, generating concise summaries, and receiving curated lists of archival materials.

By bridging artificial intelligence with trusted historical data, Archibot offers researchers, policymakers, and the public a powerful new way to explore the legislative history of the European Union.

The EBU AI Sandbox is a collaborative environment enabling public service media to explore, test, and refine AI tools specifically tailored to media and archive applications. By connecting AI developers with media and archive professionals, the Sandbox fosters the co-creation of user-centric applications rooted in operational realities. It offers secure, private spaces to evaluate AI using proprietary content while ensuring GDPR compliance and data protection. Grounded in an open-source philosophy, the Sandbox accelerates innovation through transparency, adaptability, and shared learning. Among its flagship projects are a GDPR-compliant facial recognition tool optimised for documentalists and MetaRadio, which transforms linear radio into a rich, searchable experience. The iterative, feedback-based process helps ensure that development efforts are focused on features that add real value to users and fit into their day-to-day workflows. This presentation illustrates how bringing users and developers together can help make AI more valuable and relevant for media archives.