Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach and I thank the Minister of State for coming into the Chamber to speak on this issue in which I know he has a deep personal interest and passion. As we know, artificial intelligence and machine learning are transformative technologies and are about solving very complex issues. We are already seeing it happening in everything from legal contracts being checked to identifying pieces of music or of birdsong, and it is being used in drone and machine delivery of food. Even yesterday, the most recent announcement about the Dublin MetroLink referred to it being an automated train system with trains driven by artificial intelligence, AI, machine learning.

I have no doubt we will see robots using AI machine learning and 3-D printers to deliver homes. It is interesting that while some of this new world fills us with fear, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs reported two weeks ago that the deployment of AI will not result in any job losses but that we need to adapt and change as a society to avail of the opportunities it presents.

I was very happy to see the publication in July last year of the strategy, AI - Here for Good: A National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for Ireland. The concern when a strategy is published is that it will be left on a shelf and no progress will be made. I am aware, however, that the Minister of State has appointed a national AI ambassador and set up the enterprise digital advisory forum. In addition, in a very welcome step, he set up the digital transition fund which will support business in adapting and using AI. I know that there also are plans to engage with young people.

Key in terms of Government strategy, and this was signalled in the AI strategy, has to be the building of trust among people. We have seen in recent years fears, unfounded in many cases, being built up by small groups around science and technology. I am speaking here about anti-vaxxers and anti-5G groups. It is essential, therefore, that the Government take an active role in ensuring that people understand the potential of AI and the opportunities it presents. That is not just a challenge for Government. Business, higher education and others also have a responsibility to inform the public debate on this.

I note the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs recommended two weeks ago that we should have a new AI apprenticeship. I would certainly like to see that. The expert group also recommended that a free AI course be made available for all citizens so that they can learn how to more effectively use and deploy AI and also simply understand how it operates.

The Government approach in the AI strategy, which I welcome, is very much based on human rights and ethics. This has to be a whole-of-government approach. We can deploy AI in a clever way, for instance, in meeting some of our climate change targets in agriculture. If we use AI effectively, we could ensure the effective use of agricultural resources and monitor soil and animals.

I am concerned about moves to introduce facial recognition technology, even in these Houses. Facial recognition technology can be used for good. For instance, in India up to 10,000 children who were missing were identified using facial recognition technology. In contrast, however, we have China, which has effectively become a surveillance society through the use of facial recognition technology. It is important that if we deploy this technology, it is done with full public consultation and informed by human rights and ethics.

I am a little concerned that the Department of Justice intends to roll out its own AI strategy. The use of AI or facial recognition technology could be welcome in fighting crime but it is essential that it adhere to the terms of the Government strategy, with a particular emphasis, obviously, on ethics and the protection of human rights.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator Malcolm Byrne for raising this issue. I know he has a great interest in this area and all new and emerging technologies. As alluded to by the Senator, in July last year, the Taoiseach and I launched AI - Here for Good: A National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for Ireland. The strategy sets out how Ireland can be an international leader in using Al to benefit our economy and society, through a people-centred, ethical approach to its development, adoption and use, as the Senator said. It presents an integrated framework to manage the expected beneficial socioeconomic opportunities that Al presents. We have paid particular attention to the ethical and societal aspects of Al, highlighting both the benefits and possible risks of Al technologies.

The national strategy is aligned with the evolving EU and OECD policy direction of ensuring both an ecosystem of excellence and an ecosystem of trust. The strategy is in favour of a governance and regulatory framework that avoids setting unnecessary barriers to responsible innovation. At the same time, the governance and regulatory framework needs to be robust enough that it can build trust in the ethical use of Al.

On a regulatory front, work is under way at European level on an Al Act, which will set harmonised rules for the development, placement on the market and use of Al systems. Crucial to this is a proportionate risk-based approach. Certain particularly harmful Al practices are prohibited as contravening European Union values, while specific restrictions and safeguards are proposed on certain uses in areas such as recruitment, health, welfare and law enforcement, including remote biometric identification systems.

Al applications, such as facial recognition technology, may have a role to play, for example, in some specific cases of law enforcement.However, it is my firm belief we need to have regulatory structures in place to ensure its safe deployment.

As the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, AI, becomes clearer, so too do the risks posed by the use of unethical, unsafe or insecure AI systems. That is why we need to have clear direction with safeguards and ethical governance in place to make sure AI is used and deployed securely and in a manner that is fair, transparent and builds public trust.

My Department and I continue to engage across Government, including with the Department of Justice and with our European counterparts, to ensure a risk-based approach is adopted for the adoption, deployment and use of AI and to ensure the commitment of ethical and trustworthy AI is upheld.

From my Department's perspective, I would like to highlight some of the deliverables in the strategy that have been implemented since the launch. As AI becomes more and more part of our daily lives, it is important public trust, knowledge and engagement with AI is built and maintained. To that end, I appointed an AI ambassador who will lead a national conversation to ensure we demystify AI but also to make sure everybody is aware and understands the great opportunities and benefits AI can bring to society and to the economy.

I also appointed an Enterprise Digital Advisory Forum, which will support and advise Government in driving the digitalisation of enterprise across Ireland, including the uptake of AI by businesses. The Senator mentioned the digital fund we announced a few weeks ago. Officials in my Department are working with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Inclusion and Youth and planning a national youth assembly on AI to ensure our youth have an input in the future direction of AI.

Last month CeADAR, the centre for AI and applied data analytics, took another step closer to becoming a designated European digital innovation hub, which will serve as the national first-stop shop for AI transformation in SMEs and public organisations. Last month, the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, and I welcomed the publication of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, to which the Senator alluded. Much good work is being done to ensure the strategy does not stay on the shelf, that we implement it and take the full benefits of the opportunities this transformative technology presents.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for that comprehensive answer. I certainly welcome many of the moves. The engagement with Comhairle na nÓg and with young people will be particularly welcomed. It is important it would be as inclusive as possible to ensure young people understand AI and avail of its opportunities. This is a challenge for wider society. It will transform all of our lives. For anybody involved in driving or delivery of goods or persons, there is a risk a significant element of their tasks will be replaced over the next decade. We must consider how we can upskill all those individuals.

It is important some of the suggestions of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs on specific apprenticeships and for an online course to be made available for all citizens would be implemented. We need to build public trust in this technology. The Minister of State’s approach has been correct to date but I worry that this, as is the case with many technologies, is frequently discussed within a bubble. I suggest that in the roll-out of new technologies perhaps briefings for Members of the Oireachtas could be useful. It is a challenge for Deputies, Senators and others to understand the scope and opportunity of what is coming down the line. It would be of benefit for us to be able to understand the full detail of how AI operates and the potential challenges and opportunities it presents.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I fully concur with the Senator on the need to build public confidence in this technology. We have to build trust. One of the ways to do that is to ensure we have the proportionate regulatory framework in place. That is why Ireland, from our perspective, is working at a European level and feeding into the work being done there on the AI Act, which will set a harmonised set of rules for the development, placement on the market and use of AI systems, which will be proportionate and risk-based. As a small open economy, there are no boundaries to the use of technology. It is in that context it is right and proper for us to engage in the regulatory framework from a European perspective.

Regarding having wider engagement, that is why we appointed Dr. Patricia Scanlon who is an expert in this field. She will lead a national conversation in this area and regarding the whole area of skills. That report of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs was published only two weeks ago. We will be implementing its recommendations. There will be job displacement but there will also be new job opportunities because of the use of AI. It is important we provide the necessary training in order that people can avail of the new opportunities this will present.