Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Obviously, I missed a considerable amount of the discussion as I attending other meetings. In fairness, AI has been dealt with. We all accept that AI is not necessarily what is discussed in the public domain. There are dangers but we have also seen where AI can aid and abet everything from medicine right through. When people look at the fake video and the possibilities there, no more than people have to be circumspect regarding kids handing in homework from kids handing in homework from here on in, they also have to be aware of the possibilities for somebody playing around with the stuff from a political point of view.

AI can also be the means by which social media companies could find the stuff that we are not particularly happy that they are allowing. We have had the issue in the past number of days of content being left up that should not have been. We have a long history in respect of particular social media companies. They have particular algorithms that are all ready to use nearly weaponised, whether that is for state actors or non-state actors. We have seen the difficulty with disinformation and we know how suggestible we all are, but some are more so than others. We saw huge issues where Covid hit social media and the rabbit holes people have been put down. That has to be dealt with. We have seen the worst-case scenarios as regards Facebook and the issue in Burma and Myanmar relating to the Rohingya. We have most of these companies before us. I assume there has to be interaction with Government. I imagine even at a European level we have to get to a point where we see a greater level of responsibility from them. We are in the age of hybrid and cyber. We know what happened with the HSE.

I will ask a question around Predator and Pegasus and where there are personalised attacks, where somebody goes after Gerry Craughwell or Barry Cowen. Obviously, they would not go after me. I would not be worth it.