ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS transforming almost every aspect of our society and we need to harness this technology’s potential while also safeguarding citizens and public institutions.

We need to balance the desire for innovation and using AI to improve the delivery of public services with appropriate regulation that reflects our values.

Regulation and innovation are not mutually exclusive, but in fact, complementary.

Setting out clear guardrails that provide for necessary societal protections is a critical part of allowing for the development of new goods and services.

Today, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence publishes our first report.

The Committee comprises nine TDs and five Senators and is drawn from across the political spectrum. We have worked collaboratively with the aim of positioning Ireland to the fore in the debate on the use of AI, of encouraging public discussion of the technology and of exploring the enormous opportunities as well as the potentially extremely serious harms.

We want to engage in proactive policymaking and to ensure Ireland is best prepared for the disruption that is occurring and will occur in the years ahead.

We commenced our work with some ‘State of the Nation’ assessments of how Ireland is engaging with AI and determined to look at all issues through the lens of the citizen.

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In particular, we held a number of sessions to give a specific focus to the themes of AI and children and young people; AI and older people; AI and disability.

We are currently exploring how the State uses and........

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