Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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990. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the degree to which he is pursuing the ‘CERN for AI’ proposal (details supplied); if he sees opportunity in State-led AI collaboration, research and investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32739/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I understand the Deputy's question refers to one of the independent policy recommendation from the European Commission's Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) published in April 2024 on how to facilitate the uptake of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research and innovation across the EU. As set out below, it relates to the work of the European Commission at European level rather than to my area of responsibilities at national level.

The opinion addresses both the opportunities and challenges of using Artificial Intelligence in science. It highlights that AI has the potential to revolutionise scientific discovery, accelerate research progress, boost innovation and improve researchers’ productivity. It can also strengthen the EU’s position in science and ultimately contribute to solving global societal challenges. On the other hand as discussed in the opinion, AI also presents obstacles and risks, for example with obtaining transparent, reproducible results that are essential to robust science in an open society.

In addition to the recommendation for the establishment of a European institute for AI in science the recommendations relate to the following issues:

- High quality standards for AI systems (i.e., data, computing, codes);

- Transparency of public models;

- AI tools and technologies specialised for scientific work;

- AI-powered research with major benefits for EU citizens;

- A Human and Community-Centric Approach.

The opinion was requested by the Commission in July 2023 and is non-binding. It complements a range of material that the Commission has developed on the use of AI in research and innovation. I look forward to seeing how all the recommendations help guide and inform the development and implementation of EU policy for AI across all its many dimensions.