James Lawless
Question:8. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his proposals for an artificial intelligence advisory council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44173/23]
View answerThursday, 12 October 2023
Questions (8, 12)
Willie O'Dea
Question:12. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for a progress report on the national artificial intelligence strategy.. [44169/23]
View answerOral answers (6 contributions)
I want to ask about the plans for an artificial intelligence, AI, advisory council. I know there is an AI ambassador, Dr. Patricia Scanlon, already in place and she is doing good work. I understand, however, it is planned to roll out a council of sorts, and I wonder where progress is on that issue.
Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 8 agus 12 le chéile.
Chun tacaíocht a thabhairt don straitéis náisiúnta um intleacht shaorga, táim ag moladh go mbunófar comhairle um intleacht shaorga.
It is proposed that the AI advisory council will provide independent expert guidance to the Government on AI policy, with a specific focus on building public trust and promoting the development of trustworthy, person-centred AI. Its first role will be providing expert guidance, insights and recommendations in response to specific requests from the Government. Its second role will be developing and delivering its own work plan of advice to the Government on issues relating to AI policy and providing insights on trends, opportunities and challenges. Its third role will be engaging in public communications aimed at demystifying and promoting trustworthy, ethical and person-centred AI.
The AI advisory council will be a mechanism for expert advice. It will not be a consultative or representative forum. Therefore, its members will represent themselves as individuals with relevant experience and expertise and not their employers or organisations of which they may be members. Since we asked for applications, we have received several hundred expressions of interest, which is a testament to the level of expertise in this overall area that Ireland enjoys. We are currently processing all the expressions of interest with a view to making announcements in the coming weeks.
The establishment of the council will further support the implementation of what is recommended in National AI strategy: AI – Here for Good. I published a progress report on this national strategy in August . It highlighted many of the achievements so far, including: the appointment of an AI ambassador, Dr. Patricia Scanlon, and the completion of her first year in the role; the establishment of an enterprise digital advisory forum; publishing, along with the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, the National Standards Authority of Ireland's AI Standards & Assurance Roadmap; and the establishment of Ireland's European digital innovation hub for AI, CeADAR.
Priorities for the year ahead include supporting businesses, enterprise and workers with AI adoption, as well as upskilling, reskilling and adapting. The AI innovation hub will have a key role in this space. 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 AI in the public sector. Regulation is an enormous part of our approach, and influencing the regulation of AI in Ireland and internationally, particularly the development of the EU AI Act, is another of my priorities. The EU AI Act sets out harmonised rules for the development, placement on the market and use of AI systems within the Union. The proposed regulation aims to ensure the protection of fundamental rights and user safety, as well as trust in the development and uptake of AI, thereby enhancing EU investment and innovation.
My officials are also actively involved in negotiations on the Council of Europe legal convention on AI. Together, the work of the EU and Council of Europe are guardrails that will ensure trust in AI and in turn support ongoing, responsible innovation in this area.
I thank the Minister of State for that. I commend the work done to date. I acknowledged the Minister of State's report in August and, as has been mentioned, the appointment a year previously of Dr. Scanlon. The State is ahead of the pack, which I am very glad to see. It befits our status as a digital employer and digital hub for so many multinationals and, indeed, indigenous companies that are very advanced in the technology space.
We see inconsistencies in the approaches around the world, from Italy's ban on ChatGPT initially to other more sophisticated engagements. Several firms have prohibited the use of ChatGPT and AI tools for public-facing and client-facing documents. I am not sure whether the Civil Service or the public service have adopted such a code. One of the security concerns around the technology is that, notwithstanding the usefulness of the tools, information submitted to a chat agent or AI agent can then become part of the wider thread of knowledge. In some cases, information submitted may be sensitive, and having it in the wider domain may not be desirable. Others may draw it down inadvertently but this is one of the reasons we need to put advisory steps and guidelines in place. Perhaps the Minister of State will advise us on whether the public service has adopted a code of conduct or guidelines. That would be helpful to know.
I thank the Deputy. We are working with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and particularly with the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, on principles and guidelines on the use of AI in the public service. It is something we are very conscious of and we want to ensure that we do it correctly. Our whole approach to AI is to ensure it is person centred. Public service staff engage with people every day, so the core approach will be to ensure AI is person centred and used with the best values of the citizen at its heart. That is our approach in the public service and our approach to AI generally.
So often with technology and advancements and innovation of any kind, we see potential conflicts between private interests and the public good. In some cases, corporations are racing ahead with their developments and laboratories. We also see some founding fathers of the technology taking a step back from it. It was well documented over the summer that a couple of early AI adopters and researchers stood back and were concerned about the pace of AI's development.
We should embrace AI. It is very positive and the direction of travel is good. Change is positive, keeps us on our toes and helps us to advance as a society, but with checks and balances in place. The public good has to be front and centre in this regard. Could the Minister of State advise us whether the budget we just had contained new measures in this space or new forms of assistance or resources for meeting our goals?
The Minister of State mentioned the EU AI Act and said he is working closely with colleagues in Europe on it. When does he expect it to be adopted? What is the position on the regulation? If the Minister of State has time, he might advise me on that as well.
On the AI Act, we are continuing the trilogue process at European level. My officials are engaging extensively in this process and it is continuing apace. The Spanish Presidency, which concludes in December, has indicated that the legislation is a priority for it. There is still much work to be done and we are continuing to lead out on that.
On resources, the Minister has directed, since he came to the Department, the establishment of a new unit within the Department to examine digital technology, AI and future technologies. That unit is up and running and working incredibly hard in this space. The advisory council will be supported by that unit. The council is being put together to collate the many different perspectives on AI. It is important that we have the best experts advising the Government in this space to capture all the various perspectives but also to allow us to make decisions based on the best and most up-to-date expertise that is relevant to development and, most important, the citizen.