Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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As we have a quorum of four members, we can commence. I welcome everyone to the first public meeting of the Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence. I do not believe we have any apologies. Our agenda items today are that we are going to have an introduction to this committee and our work. We will then engage with Research Ireland. I am very grateful to Research Ireland for coming today. Not alone is it the first meeting of our committee but it is the first time Research Ireland in its new guise is appearing before an Oireachtas committee. I hope its appearance before all Oireachtas committees is as pleasant as this one. At the end of the meeting, we will be electing our Leas-Chathaoirleach and we will go into private session briefly after that.

Before I begin there are some housekeeping rules as with all committees. As this is the first meeting of the committee, in accordance with Standing Orders I am obliged to make the following declaration:

I do solemnly declare that I will duly and faithfully, and to the best of my knowledge and ability, execute the office of Cathaoirleach of the Committee on Artificial Intelligence without fear or favour, apply the rules as laid down by the House in an impartial and fair manner, maintain order and uphold the rights and privileges of members in accordance with the Constitution and Standing Orders.

You are all very welcome to this first meeting. We have had a couple of private meetings. Our intention is to engage people on the debate around this new technology that is already transforming so many aspects of Irish society and indeed right around the world. We want to engage with the public and with as wide a range of stakeholders as possible. In our private sessions to date, we have set out the way in which our committee is going to operate. Between now and the summer recess we are going to do a kind of state-of-the-nation look at where artificial intelligence is now, the State's response. We will be hearing from Research Ireland today. In upcoming meetings, we will hear from the AI advisory council, the Minister of State, Deputy Niamh Smyth, and the Government. From the autumn on, our intention is to have a series of modules on AI and the State, AI and democracy, healthcare, energy, and education. We will hear from a variety of witnesses. We want to have public input during that period also. At the end of each of the modules, the intention is that we would produce a position paper with issues for the State and for public debate to consider. Most committees publish a report after a couple of years. We would be rather concerned here that if we waited a couple of years, the technology will be out of date. The intention is to have regular position papers. I know from talking to members that the plan is to work in a collaborative way. It is a learning process for all of us. We are interested in hearing diverse views around these issues.