Ireland cannot afford to sit still and be left behind in artificial intelligence development, the chair of the new advisory council on the technology has said.
In a stark warning about the need to engage quickly with AI, Dr Patricia Scanlon, chair of the AI Advisory Council, has said Ireland needs urgent action across government to deal with the opportunities and risks.
Dr Scanlon’s opening statement for a hearing of the Joint Committee on AI outlines the challenge ahead: “Other countries are racing to become AI hubs. We need targeted action to stay competitive.
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“Ireland can become Europe’s preferred AI base, but only if we fundamentally change our approach to regulation and implementation. Tweaking won’t work.”
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Dr Scanlon is a leading expert with a PHD in AI. She is the founder and first chief executive of Soapbox, a global leader in voice AI for children.
Her statement to the committee emphasised the need for early action in that is fundamentally transforming work, learning, innovation and the functioning of society.
“This won’t be easy or cheap, but needs immediate commitment to address critical priorities,” she said.
“Half-measures and incremental changes will leave Ireland behind. We need transformational investment and policy change now.
“Ireland’s window to lead this transformation rather than be shaped by it is rapidly closing. The decisions we make in the coming months will be critical,” she said.
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Ms Scanlon outlined the upside and downside risks, both of which are immediate. The negative aspects include the erosion of privacy, job displacement, misinformation and negative impacts on safety and human dignity. However, she said, the second risk is inaction, which would have a detrimental impact on competitiveness, investment, healthcare and education.
“Let me be direct. Ireland’s past successes in technology don’t guarantee future success,” said Dr Scanlon.
The AI Advisory Council consists of 15 independent experts advising the Government on harnessing AI, protecting rights and building public trust. Dr Scanlon and her colleagues from the council will introduce the nature of their work to members of the committee, chaired by Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne, on Tuesday.
The critical priorities identified include serious regulatory reforms, establishing an AI observatory to track real-time impacts on jobs and skills, and supporting national AI literacy that spans education and workplace settings.
Ireland already has strong foundations including good levels of education, robust research and a culture of energetic start-ups, she said.
“However, other countries are racing to become AI hubs. We need targeted action to stay competitive. Ireland can become Europe’s preferred AI base, but only if we fundamentally change our approach to regulation and implementation.
“Tweaking won’t work. We need new regulatory capacity that’s well-resourced and works quickly across sectors ... Regulation alone isn’t enough. Investment must match the pace of AI.
“This isn’t just about attracting business. Government must ensure AI delivers real benefits for society.”
Elsewhere, Dr Scanlon refers to the current limitations of the energy grid which have slowed the expansion of data centres – an area in need of significant investment in renewable energy, smart grid technology, and infrastructure. She also highlights the risk of AI replacing work previously done by humans.
“Even moderate job losses across multiple sectors could increase unemployment,” she says.
“We cannot predict the pace or scale, or if lost jobs will be replaced. We cannot be reactive. Ireland needs an AI observatory, a national system tracking real-time impacts on jobs and skills as they happen. Without it we’re navigating tomorrow’s changes with yesterday’s map.”
Dr Scanlon has also emphasised the need for AI literacy across the Irish education system.
