Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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16. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the Enterprise Digital Advisory Board to be established to support enterprise adoption of artificial intelligence will oversee the rights of workers and customers which are being developed within the European Union, in particular, in the Artificial Intelligence Act and the proposed Platform Workers Directive; if his attention has been drawn to reports that these rights will include the right of a worker or their representatives to have access to algorithms which monitor or allocate work, and for human review of significant decision and human oversight of algorithmic decision making; if the Enterprise Digital Advisory Board will not be responsible for ensuring the protection of these rights, the location that they can be found in the national artificial intelligence strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62411/22]

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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17. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the Enterprise Digital Advisory Board to be established to support enterprise adoption of artificial intelligence is not to oversee the rights of workers and customers which are being developed within the European Union, in particular, in the Artificial Intelligence Act and the proposed Platform Workers Directive, if this will mean that the national AI strategy is promoting the adoption of artificial intelligence by enterprise without in any way mitigating against the dangers in these technologies for the rights of consumers and workers. [62412/22]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 17 together.

The Enterprise Digital Advisory Forum was established in May 2022 and includes representatives of indigenous and multinational companies, as well as experts in digital technologies and their adoption.

The Forum assists the Government in driving the digitalisation of enterprise across Ireland and in the implementation of the enterprise aspects of National Digital Strategy. It provides an important setting for enterprise to be able to provide feedback to Government on various challenges and opportunities they identify in relation to digitalisation and technology adoption. This information can then be shared across Government using the structures provided for in the National Digital Strategy.

The Forum has no role in relation to the Artificial Intelligence Act or the Platform Workers Directive.

In relation to the AI Act, the proposed Act, which is currently being negotiated at EU level, sets out harmonised rules for the development, placement on the market and use of AI systems in the EU. It takes a risk-based approach where certain particularly harmful AI practices are prohibited as contravening Union values, while specific restrictions and safeguards are proposed in relation to certain high-risk areas. High risk systems include those that pose a risk to the health and safety of an individual or impacts on their fundamental rights. This includes areas of employment, workers management and access to self-employment particularly in the area of recruitment and selection and AI systems used to make decisions on promotion and termination of work-related contractual relationships and to monitor and evaluate performance and behaviour in persons in such relationships.

A clear governance structure is being proposed in the AI Act to ensure that the compliance requirements of the Act are met at Member State level. A notifying authority will be established which will be responsible for setting up and carrying out the necessary procedures for the assessment, designation and notification of conformity assessment bodies and for their monitoring to ensure such compliance.

It is expected that the AI Act will be adopted in early 2024 and the Notifying Body will be in place 12 months from the enforcement date. My Department is currently considering the most appropriate location of the AI Notifying Body and is consulting with stakeholders on this issue as part of their ongoing consultation on the AI Act.

Regarding the Platform Workers Directive, this Directive it is intended to improve working conditions in Platform work. In doing so, the proposal’s ambition is to ensure that Member States have in place mechanisms whereby a question on the correct employment status of a person can be determined. The proposal is not intending to remove genuinely self-employed persons from the sector. In a more specific way, the proposal also intends to enhance existing GDPR protections for all persons engaged in platform work. The sector is clearly defined and is narrower in scope than the use of digital technologies in business in a more general way. Ireland supports the proposal and has consistently sought for clarity and legal certainty in the way it is drafted. Ireland already has mechanisms for the determination of employment status.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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18. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has concerns that an overly business-focused national AI strategy will struggle to build trust in new artificial intelligence technologies amongst those who are currently seeing these technologies begin to monitor and manage their work. [62413/22]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland's National AI Strategy, “AI - Here for Good”, provides a high-level direction to the design, development, deployment and governance of AI in Ireland. It presents an integrated framework to manage the expected beneficial socio-economic opportunities that AI presents.

In developing the Strategy, my Department undertook an extensive engagement process and one of the strongest themes and recommendations that emerged from that process, and which is reflected throughout the Strategy, is a particular focus and attention to the ethical and societal aspects of AI.

Our vision is for Ireland to become a leading country in using AI to the benefit of our citizens, through a people centred and ethical approach to AI adoption and use. The Strategy helps define how Ireland can ensure a responsible and inclusive approach to developing, applying and adopting AI, and how to harness the potential benefits of AI for both businesses and society. While my Department leads on the implementation of the Strategy and is responsible for driving the adoption of enterprise by businesses, this is a whole of Government Strategy and therefore is not solely focussed on enterprise aspects.

Last June, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs issued its Report entitled "AI Skills: A preliminary assessment of the skills needed for the development, management and regulation of AI". That Report made 10 specific recommendations that are connected to society's wider need for AI skills, not just for the conduct of business. A firm understanding of AI will support the building of trust in AI technologies and better educated consumers of AI.

The Government recognises the need to have meaningful engagement with the public on the development, governance and use of AI. To lead a national conversation on AI in our lives and in society, Dr Patricia Scanlon was appointed as Ireland's first AI Ambassador last May. As part of her role, Dr Scanlon emphasises an ethical approach in the use of AI and in particular in its adoption by enterprise. Dr Scanlon and my Department have developed a programme of engagements which will involve: demystifying AI and promote better understanding of the technology, engaging with existing perceptions of AI, building awareness of the potential benefits of AI, allaying common fears and misunderstandings around AI for example in relation to job losses, misuse of technology and trust, raising awareness of potential developments and opportunities for Ireland in AI, and raising awareness of the protections that are being developed to mitigate the risks of AI including regulation at EU level; standards, and codes of ethics around the use of AI.

In addition, and in order to bring the voices of young people into policy making on AI, my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, convened a National Youth Assembly on AI in October. The recommendations from the National Youth Assembly will inform the future policy direction for AI in Ireland.

My Department has also convened a Working Group to bring together AI experts with representatives of Government Departments to develop Trustworthy AI Principles and Guidelines to help decision makers in the Public Service to make informed decisions on the use and deployment of AI.