Results 321-340 of 10,922 for speaker:Niamh Smyth

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I would like to think we will not be looking at the kinds of figures the Deputy referenced in Ireland. I will be a realist and say there will obviously be some displacement. I would be a fool not to say that. To address the Deputy's opening remarks, we cannot afford not to embrace AI and embrace it in a way that has a risk-based approach that protects our citizens. I am equally very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I am not familiar with the article the Deputy raised. I am more than happy for him to share it with me, if he wants. My understanding is the EU AI Act is intended to protect citizens and to have that risk-based approach. The example the Deputy gave is a very cruel way of using workers. It certainly would not be acceptable in Ireland.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: With Meta.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Okay. I am not familiar with the details so I will have to come back to him on it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: That treatment of workers is certainly not acceptable.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: What I will say to the Deputy is, and I am sorry for repeating myself but he is giving me a level of detail I am not aware of, that AI systems will do much of the content moderation that is done by humans. On his question, I will again go back to the point that the EU AI Act is there to protect citizens. While I know we are not at the enforcement stage, it is my ambition not only that we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: My answer is that is "No".

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: To answer the Deputy's question, I hope we can do both. I hope we can embrace AI in an ethical way that is regulated, that people can use and that does not harm citizens, and that we can also meet our climate targets. I have listened to the Deputy's contributions over the years on data centres and I appreciate where he is coming from. I have equal concerns about our use of energy, but the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank Deputy Keogh for her question. To answer her question bluntly on whether this portfolio is in the right Department, I will obviously say "Yes". I am hugely enthusiastic about the portfolio itself and it has a huge role to play in enterprise, trade and employment. That is not ignoring the fact that it has a role to play in every walk of life and every Government Department. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Going back to the national AI office, it will have oversight across all departments and sectors. While it has been established out of this Department, it will be a stand-alone, independent, national AI office that will have oversight across all Departments. It will come at it from a different angle than the Deputy's suggestion but it may happen too that there will be expertise in AI in all...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: We are working towards 2 August 2026. There is a lot of August 20-something in the coming years and I want to be accurate about that. It is August 2026.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the Deputy for her suggestion. It is a very good idea and if the Deputy would like to share those proposals with me, I am more than happy to do that. This would probably come under the Minister, Deputy O'Brien's, remit of energy and climate regarding a grant which could be there, as the Deputy said, to mitigate against that energy or digital divide. There is merit in her suggestion...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Yes. Regarding the Deputy's question on older people, ADAPT, a research-based organisation, is working with our universities to ensure we have a public campaign which is targeted at older people. The target is for 60,000 older people to have the information and to be shrouded with the knowledge base they need for that digital transformation we are undergoing. For schools, the advisory...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: It is currently being worked on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: It is a new national AI office, so there will be a recruitment piece done. All of that is still being worked out.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: It is a stand-alone entity. It has been established out of this Department. It will not be just answerable to this Department. There would be oversight across Government agencies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The Deputy is right that the council is coming to the end its term of at the end of this year. It has done incredible work up to this point, not just in assisting the Government and our Departments in how we can be AI ready, but also in going out and helping with the public trust piece, doing the engagements and talking to people. It is very broad. I am not sure if the committee had the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Even since it was established, things have changed so much. The council would say that itself. We have great expertise there that we can lean on. It is very happy to help all of our Departments in any way, and we need to utilise that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The ESRI, the Department of enterprise and the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council hope to have that later this year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: May I come back to the Deputy, if that is okay? I will get a fuller answer than I can give today.