Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Businesses: Discussion (Resumed)
Marie Sherlock (Labour)
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I apologise that I could not be here earlier. I warmly welcome all our witnesses. These hearings are very important because, as has been said a number of times, there is a lot that we still need to understand given we are still very much learning about generative AI. I am very excited about the prospect of what it can deliver in the public and private sectors but I am also cognisant of the risks.
A lot of the discussion today is about the uses and the take-up within businesses. From a regulatory perspective, the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act has just been passed. I am looking at the documents here and I believe the Microsoft representative is the only one who has explicitly referenced the legislation. I want to hear from all three organisations about what changes they have put in place to prepare for the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Act. I believe there is a concern that for some organisations it would be business as is. Obviously the intent behind the legislation is that there would be significant change and particularly on the more harmful generative AI processes. I would like to hear in detail from the three organisations what changes have been put in place to prepare for the implementation of the AI Act.