Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. It is important to say at the outset that the proliferation of new technologies like artificial intelligence and the generation and communication tools associated with that are a massive opportunity in terms of connecting society and making information more plentiful, but also presents a number of challenges. I am a firm believer that innovation should always be promoted and welcomed, but should also be accompanied with safety and very clear expectations and parameters about how to guarantee the safe use of new technologies.

All of the reports generated about employment, labour and the sort of skills we need for the future have correctly identified things like green skills, digital skills and the ability to understand AI skills. Report after report shows that employers and, more broadly, society are looking for people who have critical thinking skills, as well as the ability to solve problems on their own and to differentiate what might be real or false. It is important that we as a society and the Government not only say that these are things employers look for. In order to build well-rounded citizens and people who can actively engage in a democracy, we must ensure critical thinking skills are central to this.

I welcome the funding of the various programmes for broadcasters and media organisations from Coimisiún na Meán. I encourage the mainstreaming of that because it is something we will have to be vigilant about and keep an eye on. That is the core point. We must make sure that we continue to prioritise ongoing research and monitoring to stay ahead of this evolving threat so that we can evaluate how extensive it is and, indeed, how successful our efforts to address and to deal with it are.

Let us continue to act not just to regulate but to educate, and not just to respond but to build resilience in our democracy because the truth is worth protecting. Facts do matter because, ultimately, they underpin the conversations that sustain the open free speech of our democracy.

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