The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence has published its second interim report on AI, setting out 39 recommendations focused on how the technology might be used in public services.
The report — which drew on engagement with Government departments, national bodies and an independent human rights organisation — centres heavily on the role of the national AI office, recommending it be moved out of the Department of Enterprise and established as an independent State agency with its own budget and sufficient technical expertise, reports RTE.
It warns that robust regulation of AI both generally and within the public sector is “essential,” pointing to “international examples of the devastating human impact” that failures in AI systems can cause, and states that “as much emphasis should be placed on issues such as the environment, human rights, workers’ rights, womens’ rights, child protection and equality as on the economy and increased efficiency.”
The report recommends establishing a citizens’ assembly to facilitate public dialogue and democratic input on AI policy, while also stating that “Ireland must not shy away from the EU AI Act or try to dilute it,” calling it a minimum baseline for national regulation rather than a maximum standard, reports RTE.
Several recommendations mirror those made in the first interim report, after “concerns were flagged repeatedly by a range of experts across varied sectors,” with repeated calls for proper resourcing of existing regulations and for the national AI office to have well-resourced advisory panels working regularly with young people, older people and disabled people.
The report also calls for a mandatory register requiring all public bodies and departments to publish details of where AI is being used in public services, and for clear mandatory guidelines on both the use and procurement of AI systems in the public sector, reports RTE.
Former committee chair Malcolm Byrne wrote that “any technology that may add value to the delivery of services should be actively considered and even trialed but only with strong guardrails to protect citizens in place,” while the committee noted that progress is being made towards an independent national AI office, citing Spain as an example of where a full independent authority is already in place.
The issues raised in the report are expected to be debated in both houses of the Oireachtas, with the committee set to continue publishing interim reports ahead of a final report once its work is concluded, reports RTE.
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