Results 301-320 of 10,922 for speaker:Niamh Smyth

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The most important part of Ireland’s response to the EU AI Act is putting guard rails in place to protect citizens, ensure companies can develop their technology within the rules of the law, and, most important, give certainty to citizens and businesses that use AI tools regarding what they see in front of them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: It is back to that piece of head-in-the-sand where people may feel it does not impact them and does not have a role to play in their industry or in education or retail. If people working in those areas do not see how AI can impact them positively, it may be a question they want to park to one side and feel that it does not affect them. It is a body of work for me, the Department, and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Yes, the role of the national AI office will be in oversight and governance. The sectoral agencies will feed into that. That expertise with the regulators we have established in Ireland will feed into the national AI office and will give their expertise in developing that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: It is a balance we have to strike, and it is a big ask to ensure we do that but we have to send a very clear message to those in the business of AI such as the creators, the small start-ups and the scale-up businesses that Ireland is not going to create regulation that will stifle business in anyway and that we have a risk-based approach that is proportionate in how we create that regulation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I am picking up different views across the board. Some people see it as light regulation; others feel it is stifling. That is my job and I take that responsibility. It is hugely important. As the Deputy will know, the Draghi report, which was published some months ago, acknowledges the fact that across the EU regulation has had a tendency to be very bureaucratic and to hold people back...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: There are a number things happening. One of CeADAR's roles is to provide advice and support to companies interested in developing AI and in bringing AI tools into their business. The Department itself is working with Government agencies such as Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, local enterprise offices and digital hubs. This cannot be done by one particular agency. It is going to take a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I apologise if I was not clear about this in my initial remarks. It is to be a stand-alone entity. While it is hosted by my Department, it will be a stand-alone entity in how it is established and how it is created and will have oversight of all sectors, not just enterprise. It will include education and all those other sectors we have discussed during the meeting. It will have key...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I am sorry if I was not clear about it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Of course, I would. It is important that we provide support. Enterprise Ireland is the agency that will support, fund and develop those companies. It is important that we respond to the Draghi report in a meaningful way, that is, that we do not stifle innovation. The Department, along with the ESRI and National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, is undertaking research on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The regional enterprise groupings have a role to play in all of this. The Deputy is right. Some LEOs have a digital hub within their area. My county has one of those. County Cavan has a LEO. It works in tandem with the digital hub. It is something we need replicate. We have quite a few digital hubs around the country at this point. They are working in tandem with IDA Ireland,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The Senator is right that this is a digital divide in the sense there are a cohort of people who are not as proficient with digitalisation and, therefore, they are not proficient with AI. We will have a body of work to do to bring those people along. At a more granular level, our ETBs have a part to play in closing that gap. There is no doubt the sandbox will be for the highly proficient...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I hope the risk-based approach in all our regulation and in devising our sandbox and observatory will take that into consideration so that we do not leave anybody behind. The reality is there are a cohort of people there. As Deputy Ó Cearúil referenced, the sandbox is software. If people are not digitally proficient, they cannot use it in the first place.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I cannot say for certain today that is not a possibility, but I am conscious of it. As I referenced in my opening statement, I am conscious and mindful that we do not leave a cohort of people behind, and that we do not impact or compound inequalities, discrimination or any of the concerns the Senator, I, and everybody around this table have. We will do our best to devise a sandbox that has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I sit on and chair the expert digital advisory group within the Department. We have had two or three meetings since I started. The Department had work on devising the digital charter well under way. I cannot take any credit for it. It is an attempt to ensure the SMEs within this country that do not have a big AI or digital department will have the bigger companies almost buddy up with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: There is no reason it could not. Our ETBs do incredible work, along with other agencies on the ground. I am sure the Senator has agencies in mind that we could perhaps engage with in future. If she sees an opportunity there, I would be happy to liaise with her on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I accept what the Senator is saying. I am sorry if it comes across that this is entirely focused on SMEs-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: It comes under the Department of enterprise, so there has largely been a focus on that, but I absolutely take the Senator's point. This is organically happening before our eyes, in the sense that departmental officials are engaging with and open to, as is the advisory council, feeding into or taking suggestions and ideas from way more than just the enterprise sector. The Senator is right....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I hope that the establishment of the new national skills council, which will link Government, industry and social partners, will help to achieve that. An expert group on future skills needs very recently commissioned a study to understand and forecast digital skills needs in Ireland up to 2030.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I take the Senator's points. I will use the points she raised to feed into that, if that is okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I do not know. I do not think I could possibly know at this early point, which is not to obfuscate. I would like to be able to answer the Deputy's question more directly but I hope when we establish the AI observatory, that will give us data and a real knowledge base into where the displacement may come from.