Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)

I thank everyone for being here. I am sorry I missed the opening statements. I had another engagement. I am delighted to hear the contributions throughout. I will drill down further into privacy. It is an area I have some of the biggest concerns about. It is a different situation for people with disabilities when they give personal information to screen readers and other applications. It is great to hear people referencing the AI Act and how it will roll out here. I will read from a book called Rewiring Democracy. It is coming out in a few weeks. I was lucky enough to get an advance copy. It states:

The EU has taken the most comprehensive and boldest action on AI to date by means of the 2024 AI Act and deserves credit for its early regulation of this new technology. For example, the Act requires disclosure to employees of certain AI uses in the workplace and prohibits AI from exploiting and manipulating people with disabilities. However, the AI Act falls short in important ways. Although it creates a public registry for disclosure of high-risk AI systems, fairly narrow boundaries define the sort of models that must be disclosed. Even where it requires disclosure of AI implementation, it does not require AI developers to respond to public input or solicit any engagement by stakeholders.

I have real concerns that although we are best in class compared to China or America, Europe still is not providing a regulatory framework that would be helpful. I have fears about whether the State in Ireland, even when given the regulatory tools, will enforce and police them. We have seen across a number of sectors, including the data protection area, that has not happened. Starting with Voice of Vision Impairment - Disability Federation of Ireland may wish to input as well - beyond the AI Act, which domestic-level legislative and policy tools has it been calling for up to now? Parking the AI Act and trying not to pin our hopes quite so much on it, what other tools do we have to use as a State to protect data, privacy and the ability to engage with these tools in a way that actually helps people with disabilities without putting them at risk? Will Mr. Culhane comment first?