Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)

I thank the witnesses for being here. Some of the contributions from the beginning of this session are particularly stark with regard to the risks the witnesses have outlined. I am keen to dig into them a little bit more.

We have AI as a stand-alone issue, if you like, or something that permeates in very different ways. Before we had AI, we already had a very divisive, polarised and harmful online environment in some ways. I am particularly interested in the experience of those who really feel the sharp end of that. I am going to come to the witnesses from BeLonG To and afterwards Mr. Joyce from the Irish Traveller Movement.

Many of us in public representative roles experience online hate. In my previous work, I have had a glimpse of what the world look likes from the perspective of more marginalised communities for whom online hate is just a day-to-day experience. I know it is a difficult question in some ways but I would love to hear and understand what members of their communities experience with respect to that, and what they think about AI. As far as I am concerned, we hear a lot about how AI is going to supercharge innovation and enterprise, and all of the benefits it has, but it will also supercharge the negative elements of online activity. I want to hear whether the witnesses discuss that at the moment within those communities. Are people already seeing the impact of AI on an increase in hate? I will first ask BeLonG To and then the Irish Traveller Movement, ITM.