Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for the information they have given us. This is one of a series of engagements we are having on this subject. I am sure I will not be the only one to say it this morning but the more we know, the more we realise what we do not know. That does not mean we are not interested. It is an issue that the committee is taking a particular interest in, which is very welcome, and we do have concerns.

The witnesses said they have a belief that generative AI will make work more enjoyable and lead to greater job satisfaction. How do they think this will be the case? The technological revolution has not necessarily been good for workers. Without the right to disconnect, people are effectively available all of the time. There are workers all around this city, and in every other city and town in every county in Ireland, who are on their bikes at the moment, being driven by algorithms. To have responsible and human-centric AI is important but I am genuinely curious to know how the two can be married, on the one hand, drive, competitiveness, productivity and so on, and, on the other, making work more enjoyable and protecting workers’ rights. That is a tough balancing act.

I will pass over to the witnesses and they can explain how it will be done and we can all take notes. To be serious, it is an issue of real concern. People are having their entire work day - which, when they are on a low income, can take up a considerable chunk of their day - driven by algorithms without any human element. That does not take account of a person's personal circumstances in the way that a human can. The witnesses have expressed a belief that it will make work more enjoyable and I am expressing a degree of scepticism. Perhaps they can explain and elaborate.