Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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460. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans to support public information campaigns explaining artificial intelligence and the way in which algorithms and recommender systems work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61831/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Minister of State for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (Niamh Smyth) The National Digital and AI Strategy is currently being updated to set out Ireland’s vision for digital and AI across government and will have a key focus on AI throughout. I chair the Enterprise Digital Advisory Forum (EDAF) which supports the implementation of the enterprise aspects of the overall Strategy. It provides an important setting for enterprises to provide feedback to the Government on various challenges and opportunities they identify in relation to AI and digitalisation. My department, along with the LEOs, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, continue to work with industry to drive widespread adoption of AI across enterprise through a distributed and phased approach of awareness building, opportunities to experiment with and pilot AI applications, assistance with planning and capacity building for AI, and help for implementation of AI solutions. In addition, the four European Digital Innovation Hubs in Dublin (CeADAR), Cork (ENTIRE), Sligo (Data2Sustain) and Mullingar (FactoryXchange) are pivotal providers of digital expertise, guiding SMEs through the rapidly evolving tech landscape. CeADAR Technology Centre in UCD, the national centre for AI plays an increasingly important role in the delivery of cutting-edge applied AI innovation, talent and workforce development, and the development and deployment of market-ready solutions to companies, supporting SME’s, MNC’s, and public sector organisations. They offer many courses including the free AI for you online training course which includes information on How AI Works. CeADAR provides a Test-Before-Invest service to address specific business and technology challenges that improve products, services, competitiveness, and profitability. An important resource for business will be the new AI Office of Ireland, to be established by August 2026, which will act as the focal point for responsible AI innovation. It will champion AI as a strategic technology and demonstrate Ireland’s commitment to harnessing AI for economic and societal benefit. It will host an AI Regulatory Sandbox, which will provide a safe, supervised environment for innovators to test new digital and AI solutions in partnership with compliance experts. The AI Advisory Council was established in 2024 with a specific focus on building public trust in AI. Experts from the Council have participated in hundreds of public engagements to promote understanding and confidence in trustworthy AI. The embedding of digital skills, including AI, in teaching and learning at school level will help to ensure that Ireland has a future oriented workforce and population with the skills to drive the development, deployment and use of AI to increase productivity and benefit society. This is reflected in the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027. We are also working with the wider society on AI and literacy. For example, Adapt, the Research Ireland Centre at Dublin City University, in partnership with Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), has secured national funding to lead Ireland’s first dedicated AI literacy campaign for older adults. My department’s focus is largely on promoting responsible AI adoption. In terms of explaining how algorithms and recommender systems work, I believe this may be more closely aligned to the work of the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and to Coimisiún na Meán. The Government's’ key priority is that Ireland's approach to AI is safe and that the public remains informed. We are committed to continue to work across government and industry to build a digitally confident and AI-literate society.