Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ireland's national AI strategy, AI - Here for Good, launched in 2021, outlines how Ireland can be an international leader in the use of artificial intelligence to benefit the economy and society. The strategy is founded on three core principles, namely, adopting a human-centric approach to the application of AI, staying open and adaptable to new innovations and ensuring good governance to build trust and confidence for innovation to flourish. A key enabler to support AI adoption is to ensure our workforce is prepared for the impact of it. The stability programme update published last month summarises work in the Department of Finance to assess the potential impacts of AI on the Irish labour market. The research identifies occupations that are relatively more exposed and susceptible to AI applications where upskilling opportunities can reduce the risk of employment losses. It also identifies occupations most open to the integration of AI in a complementary way, increasing innovation and productivity in the workplace. The refreshing and updating of the national AI strategy currently under way provides the opportunity to examine how best Ireland's education system can support and enable the transformation of the workforce, which is expected to be driven by AI adoption. This work is being built on the detailed framework set out in the skills dimension of the national digital strategy.

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