Mr. Seán Moynihan:

A Chathaoirligh and committee members, thank you for the opportunity to speak about how AI can and will impact older people. In 2024, ALONE supported nearly 44,000 older people across our services. Our work centres on helping older people age at home, increasingly using new technology. Last year, we delivered 6,590 assistive technology interventions to help over 4,000 older people. We are currently rolling out smart technology for remote health monitoring, alongside digital training and other projects. Our management information system captures data on those we support and generates valuable insights.

AI is becoming an important part of our journey. We recently introduced an AI tool to match older people with volunteers for our support and befriending service. By analysing geography, preferences and availability, this reduces waiting times, streamlines administration and ensures more personalised services. We believe AI can transform and empower older people, but only with the right policies, infrastructure and resources to ensure ethical and equitable access.

The Government’s vision is for Ireland to be an international leader in responsible, person-centred AI. We agree that well-being must come before economic interests. We urge the committee to consider that leading in both AI development and ethics may not be feasible, and national policy needs to set clear boundaries to ensure safe, ethical innovation.

We welcome the Government's commitment to an AI in health strategy, and HIQA’s forthcoming framework for responsible usage. However, Ireland lags in electronic health records, ranking lowest in the EU for e-health and citizen access. Effective implementation of strategies like Digital for Care, the HSE data ecosystem roadmap and the Health Information Bill 2024 is essential to embed AI successfully. The Government counter-disinformation strategy has been criticised for failing to address harmful social media algorithms that amplify extreme material. We urge the committee to identify which policies should be fast-tracked and which need further development to strengthen Ireland’s AI policy framework in line with the EU AI Act.

On system readiness, in our experience, the major barrier to adoption of technology is the lack of system readiness, which relates to technical infrastructure and workforce. No matter how advanced a technology is, it will not succeed without appropriate training and support for those expected to use or deliver it.

In healthcare, AI holds enormous promise for early diagnosis, care co-ordination and personalised treatment. However, the World Health Organization warns that inadequate data will lead to AI discrimination, affecting who gets access to services. Older people are often excluded or underrepresented in clinical trials. In Ireland, many surveys group people over 65 and ignore the diversity among the group. Overreliance on incomplete data risks misinformed decisions. The national centre for AI highlighted the importance of embedding fairness into the AI systems.

AI systems for public use should be shaped and co-produced by users. Research by ALONE and UCC found that older people often feel excluded from technology design. We support the IPPOSI citizens' jury recommendations, including those for workforce training and healthcare AI, ensuring humans in the loop in all design and development.

Regarding impact on older people, AI should complement, not replace, human contact. Research shows older people accept AI in healthcare when integrated along with human providers, with strong usability, tailored solutions and robust security. Personal contact is a key determinant of outcomes for older people supported by ALONE. We plan to use AI to reduce administrative tasks, embedding staff with more time with older people. The committee should consider how AI could enhance processes, such as faster housing adaptation grants and timely hospital discharge.

Equitable access is critical. Many older people face difficulties accessing in-person services. In this context, 41% of over-75s have never used the Internet, and a new AI divide could deepen inequalities. Media literacy training should be embedded in digital literacy programmes to combat misinformation.

In conclusion, ALONE recognises AI benefits for older people only if developed ethically, equitably and inclusively. We need systems that are ready, representative data sets, investment in digital literacy and co-designed solutions. We must proactively shape AI to serve the social good and establish a robust regulatory sandbox, which, if delayed, means the market will dictate its development without regard to society. Crucially, all AI should complement, not replace, human contact.

We urge the committee to ensure AI policy includes civil society voices, empowering rather than excluding. Drawing on our experience supporting many thousands of vulnerable older people and using AI in our services, we would welcome the opportunity to work with the new national AI office to ensure policy reflects lived experience. If we do this, Ireland can lead by example, showing how technology can serve the well-being of all.