Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As a member of the media committee, I express my support for Senator Byrne's motion and pay tribute to him for the work he has done in this sphere. I also welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, and acknowledge and praise him for the work he has done in this sphere, especially in the area of national strategy and support for the companies that operate in this area, for the appointment of an AI ambassador and for the advisory council. They are all notable moves so far and in starting that and exploring their conversation. We spoke earlier at the press briefing for this motion, and Senator Byrne specifically touched on the area of deep fakes and bad actors in electoral contests. I will touch on that area in my contribution as well as the potential for significant distortion in the midst of an electoral campaign.

Last month I acted as an election observer in Poland for the elections there. In the work we did prior to polling day, liaising with our long-term mission observers, the point was made forcefully that the impact on the result was solidified in the weeks building up to the elections. The day of the electoral contest itself was run with high efficiency, but it was in the context of the weeks leading up to it that bad actors in this sphere were distorting the messaging the public were receiving. The number of areas where this is happening now is only multiplying, with the manipulation of messaging, so the point Senator Byrne made about the potential in the whole area of AI for that to add to the confusion is significant. In 2015, Poland ranked 18th in the world as an area where citizens could receive trusted media information across all spheres. By this year, the country had fallen to 66th in the world on that measure. It is a depressing statistic for a member of the EU. Ireland, by the way, is ranked second in the world, out of 180 countries, as a trusted media source, which gives food for thought. We do not want to lose that ranking. There is a very close tie between having a free and trusted media and a free democracy that operates properly as a result. The two are intertwined. We need much more public engagement and media literacy in this whole area. We must make citizens aware of the potential misuse of something that can be very positive.

Senator Craughwell spoke about overregulation and said there is not a need to be delving too deeply into this whole area. The bad forces, he said, would be ahead of any legislation or regulation. We have been here before with the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, which we spent a long time on between Committee Stage and discussions in both Chambers. The point of that legislation was to empower a commissioner and an office to deal with emerging technologies. That was the whole point. It was not just about setting down a list of prescriptions in legislation and saying they are the only areas within which the regulators can operate. The purpose of the legislation was to empower a commissioner to deal with something that is happening at a rapid speed. The same applies in this particular sphere as well.

Senator Sherlock spoke about efficiency and work practices and the benefits of AI for employees as well as employers. That is to be welcomed. Senator Joe O'Reilly spoke about the positive impact of AI in the whole area of health. We need to acknowledge all of those combined benefits. Equally, in the context of this motion, we must acknowledge the challenges for our companies, our electorate and, most particularly, for our young people. I have a deep fear regarding the whole area of media literacy; there is a need for public engagement in that regard. I acknowledge the many good things that arise from these technologies. Indeed, I have discovered that it is possible to write love poetry in two seconds using artificial intelligence. For all the Romeos out there who want to write something quickly in the build-up to Christmas, they can make a lovely love poem in two seconds.

This has been a worthwhile debate. I pay tribute to my fellow media committee member, Senator Malcolm Byrne, for bringing forward the motion.