Ms Jean Carberry:

There are two types of AI. There is what is called narrow AI, which is the big data crunching that is used by pharma companies for pharma discovery and used by other big companies. Then there is the revolution we had a couple of years ago when ChatGPT and other large language models were introduced. They are potentially revolutionary for all businesses, and we think that over the next three or four years this will change the world of business in the same way the introduction of the Internet or PCs and email changed the world of business.

Our approach in Ireland, however, has been to focus first on the safety aspect. We think that when the guardrails are in place, we will create a better landscape for businesses to use these tools, which I think over the next three or four years almost all businesses will adopt. The EU AI Act will enter into force probably around 1 August of this year. My Department is already working on getting all the competent authorities in place and getting that enforced. At the same time, the National Standards Authority of Ireland has been working with its European colleagues on developing standards and certification processes for AI. Our view in the Department is that the first thing is to make it safe to use AI and to provide confidence to businesses that they can adopt these tools. That has been the focus over the past two or three years - putting the guardrails and building blocks in place. Dr. Patricia Scanlon, our AI ambassador, has done a very good job of bringing a balanced tone to the conversation about AI and cutting through all the sci-fi and doom-mongering. That has been a key part of our approach to bringing an evidence-based focus on AI.

The next step now - and we are leveraging the various tools at our disposal - is to get our enterprise agencies to work with businesses to acclimatise them to the potential that AI presents for them and to the risk that if they do not adopt AI, their competitors will, and will eat their lunch. At the same time, through our Enterprise digital advisory forum, we are working very closely with the IBEC part that focuses on tech and AI to develop a campaign which will provide examples and advice to businesses on how they can use AI. The important thing, however, is that they use it in a safe way. The certification, standards and regulatory underpinning had to be put in place first because there are a lot of risks. I can go through that; I do not want to eat up all the Deputy's time.