Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have two points to understand. Many places around the world where we have seen more and more use of AI and facial recognition, have all set out in the beginning with the intention that these were not for surveillance. Then the mission creep begins where something that was there to protect society becomes something that is then used for surveillance because of the access to the data.

As regards the other point of being able to go back to actually amend primary legislation to add in that evolving data, in all the years the drugs Act has been in place, every time a new component of a drug came on board there was a way to come back in and add drugs to the Schedule.

Even while not being overly specific, we have to be able to say what the intention of legislation is and have some sort of a Schedule that can be added to with regard to including certain types of data gathering devices. If we do not have any sort of ethical framework, which we do not have in Ireland when it comes to the use of AI, no piece of legislation like this or any of the rest of them that brought in any use of AI or facial recognition, should actually come before a framework is introduced that is underpinned by the ethics in the use of AI. Right now if we are not embedded in any sort of ethical framework, we are doing this without actually understanding what that means for Ireland.