Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. As this question is about artificial intelligence, AI, perhaps at some stage in the future I will not need to call the Minister of State into this House. I might be able to use some AI-enabled device which will predict or give me the answers.

I know the Minister of State is deeply committed to ensuring that Ireland is prepared for the challenges and opportunities that AI and emerging technologies present. I am grateful for him having come to the House to talk about an update on Ireland's national AI strategy, AI - Here for Good, published two years ago. The Minister of State has appointed an AI ambassador and he is setting up an AI advisory council. These are welcome measures. We should go further and establish an Oireachtas committee specifically to look at AI and emerging technologies and how this development impacts on every area of Irish life. Not a day goes by without there being a news story about how AI is transforming some aspect of society or, indeed, the economy. Media outlets today are telling us about the AI-powered store at Dublin Airport, which is the first such store open to the public in Ireland.I have been to one of these in the United States, and in terms of how it is transforming retail, it is quite an interesting experience. There was also a slightly worrying survey from the Institute of Directors this week which found that 75% of senior executives in Irish companies do not know how extensive the EU AI Act will be and the impact it will have on business. It is my view, and the Minister of State may share it, that the AI Act has the potential to be the most significant piece of European legislation this decade, impacting on how AI is utilised not just here in Europe but indeed globally. It is critical. The approach, broadly speaking, of the EU has been correct in setting out the varying series of risks that are involved but building in the whole concept of safety by design, thus placing the pressure on some of the companies from a very early stage to ensure AI is used for the best interests of humanity.

I share certain concerns as to whether the legislation may allow industry too much self-assessment around what could be classified as high-risk AI activity. It is critical, particularly around high-risk AI activity, that there is input from elected representatives and is not just industry making those decisions. We need to learn from a number of the mistakes we made in the regulation of social media while looking at the potential of AI. I welcome the fact there is talk of establishing a central EU AI office to ensure enforcement of the AI Act. I note, for instance, that Spain has launched the first EU AI agency responsible for regulating AI within that country. I suggest to the Minister of State that he may consider launching a bid, given the presence of so many tech companies here in Ireland and the very progressive stance the country has taken with the national strategy, to host the European Union's AI office here in Ireland. Given our important role as a centre for global technology, that would be welcome. AI has enormous potential. There are great opportunities but also challenges, and it is important the Government continues to take a progressive approach in this regard.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as ucht an deis labhairt faoi intleacht shaorga, IS, sa Teach. I can assure him, given that my approach to AI is going to be person-centred, that there will always be a person standing in this spot to offer a response.

As the Senator knows, the national Al strategy, Al - Here for Good, has been in place for two years. We published a progress report on this strategy on 9 August 2023. The progress report highlighted many of the achievements thus far, including, as referenced by the Senator, the appointment of an Al ambassador, Dr. Patricia Scanlon, who is doing superb work and who has completed her first year in the role; the establishment of an enterprise digital advisory forum; the publication of the National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, Al standards and assurance roadmap; and the establishment of Ireland's European digital innovation hub for Al, CeADAR, at UCD.

Priorities for the year ahead will include supporting businesses, enterprise and workers on Al adoption, as well as upskilling, reskilling and adapting. The Al innovation hub will also have a key role here. My Department will work closely with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, on principles and guidelines for the use of Al in the public sector. Regulation is an enormous part of our approach, and influencing the regulation of Al in Ireland and internationally, in particular the development of the EU Al Act, will be a key priority.

The Senator has asked for an update on the Act. As he knows and has referenced, the Act aims to set out harmonised rules for the development, placement on the market and use of Al systems in the European Union. The proposed regulation aims to ensure the regulation of fundamental rights and user safety, as well as trust in the development and uptake of Al, thereby enhancing EU investment and innovation. The fourth inter-institutional trilogue meeting is scheduled for 24 October, and at this stage we are expecting an agreement on the regulation at the latest by spring 2024.The team in Brussels is working hard to ensure that our priorities are replicated and that we get the file across the line within the time period. When we have the finalised Act we will publicise it and ensure there is awareness of what is in it, including its challenges and its potential. I take on board Senator Byrne's suggestion on the EU AI office.

The operational and practical impacts of the regulation will depend on the final outcome. We continue to monitor the developments. We will draft a regulatory impact assessment for the implementation and enforcement framework. We will ensure it is implemented coherently, with functions being assigned to the appropriate bodies in this jurisdiction.

Officials are actively involved in negotiations on the Council of Europe legal convention on AI. In November I will attend the UK summit on AI, which will be hosted by the Prime Minister Mr. Sunak in London. With the guardrails, and the work at government and industry level, we will ensure trust in AI and, most importantly, in turn we will support ongoing responsible innovation in AI on the island of Ireland.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State. I very much appreciate the work he and his officials are doing on this and his assurance that the approach of the Government in availing of AI opportunities will always be person centred. I am concerned at the level of awareness about the potential of AI and some of the challenges and threats. We need to communicate these more widely. I would welcome further discussion on an education and information campaign. There are always fears about new technology but in areas such as healthcare and transport AI could be transformative. An information campaign will be critical. We should not understate the potential impact of the AI Act. As the Minister of State said, it will set out the guardrails for the most amazing emerging technologies that will transform all of our lives. It is critical that we have a public debate. Having an Oireachtas committee specifically to explore these areas in the public space would be very welcome.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with Senator Byrne. We are very aware of the challenges that will be presented by AI and by the regulation. We want to ensure balance, whereby the regulation puts in place the guardrails to which Senator Byrne referred but does not choke innovation in Ireland or Europe whereby we lose the experience of this innovation to other jurisdictions.

A key part of my work in the coming weeks will be the appointment of an AI advisory council. The role of this council will be to provide independent expert advice to the Government on AI policy, with a specific focus on building public trust and promoting the development of trustworthy person-centred AI. It will provide expert guidance, insights and recommendations. It will independently develop and deliver its own work plan. This work plan will provide advice to the Government on issues including the AI Bill and insights on trends, opportunities and challenges. Senator Byrne will welcome that another of its roles will be to engage in public communication to demystify AI and promote trustworthy, ethical and, most importantly, person-centred AI. I am confident I will be in a position to appoint this council in the coming weeks. We have had an overwhelming number of applications with people of great expertise interested in serving. We will put together a very good and independent council.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his time in the House. I know how busy he is.