A new Oireachtas AI committee has been established with the goal of encouraging AI innovation and positioning Ireland as a leader in the responsible use of the technology.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a cause for concern in numerous areas – including in the Leaving Cert, where teachers have warned that proposed changes could lead to increased AI usage among students.

Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne, who is heading the committee, told The Hard Shoulder that “almost every aspect of our lives and the economy” will be affected by AI.

“I think this idea that regulation and innovation are mutually exclusive is not the case,” he said.

“You need to obviously have innovation; you need to ensure how artificial intelligence and those who are using AI for either helping us to do things in a much better way or creating new AI companies, we need to ensure that the space is there to allow them to do that.

“But equally, we obviously need to ensure that citizens are confident in that the guardrails are in place and that it’s used safely.”

Deputy Byrne said the committee plans to hold a number of public hearings to listen to the views of professionals from a variety of sectors on their perspective of AI usage.

You can listen back to the full episode here:

Main image: Leinster House, Dail Eireann, Kildare St Dublin which houses the Irish National Parliament. Image: Alamy