Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue. AI is an incredibly powerful technology. I welcome the appointment of a Minister of State with responsibility for it. It requires a whole-of-government approach and response because this technology has incredible potential but needs to be managed in the right way. There are real risks. We are trying to get our heads around the potential of this technology. We know it is moving far more quickly than was envisaged.

I will focus on AI and the risks associated with it as they may apply to the leaving cert, our senior cycle and senior cycle reform. I ask the Minister of State to pick up on this with the Minister for Education. I share the concerns of school leaders throughout the country that the Minister for Education is rushing ahead with accelerated senior cycle reforms, not under the original timeline but the accelerated timeline indicated by her predecessor. Real concerns have been articulated. We will all be familiar with the demonstrations relating to this that took place outside schools throughout the State in November. For example, in the area of the impact of the proposals on the examination assessment system, a claim has been made that the State Examinations Commission needs adequate time to design, evaluate and implement assessment methods aligned with the redeveloped curriculum, ensuring fairness and reliability and, importantly, taking full account of AI.

School leaders say that there are increasing concerns around AI and its impact on the academic integrity of senior cycle reform. They further say that the Minister announced research into AI and how it may impact additional assessment components, which are an important part of the proposed reforms, but despite this research not being published, the Department is continuing with the policy of accelerating the introduction of senior cycle redevelopment. These school leaders state there are inherent dangers with this strategy, which could have a disastrous effect on their students. That is a very serious statement from vastly experienced school leaders. In addition, the use of AI research in written projects has not been adequately researched and could have a major impact on some of the proposed augmentative and alternative communication, AAC. There is a red flag in this regard. That is not saying this cannot be managed but what school leaders, teacher trade unions and schoolteachers are saying loudly and clearly to us is that we need time to prepare and plan for this. Rushing and accelerating the senior cycle reform is not the way to do it. I ask the Minister of State to take that up with the Minister for Education.

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