The Government is to set up a new body to provide it with independent, expert advice on artificial intelligence (AI).

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment said that the AI Advisory Council would have a specific focus on building public trust and promoting the development of “trustworthy, person-centred AI”.

Dara Calleary (Minister for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, pictured) said that the council would help the Government to better understand the risks and identify the opportunities of the technology.

He is now seeking expressions of interest from individuals from academia, business, law, security, social sciences, economics, and civil society to serve on the new council.

Progress report

The call came as the Government published a progress report on the implementation of the National AI Strategy, which was published in July 2021.

The report identifies priorities for the coming year, which include:

• Influencing the regulation of AI in Ireland and internationally, in particular, the development of the EU AI Act,
• Supporting businesses, enterprise, and workers on AI adoption, as well as upskilling, reskilling and adapting,
• Finalising and implementing the principles and guidelines for the use of AI in the public sector,
• Considering what additional supports may be needed for the AI sector and businesses adopting AI in Ireland.

Referring to the EU act, Minister Calleary said that Ireland was promoting “a robust governance framework to safeguard against risk and ensure public trust in AI”.