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Ireland has announced an ambitious refresh of its National AI Strategy, underscoring the nation’s commitment to harnessing artificial intelligence responsibly. Today, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke TD and Minister of State Dara Calleary TD outlined a series of measures aimed at steering AI innovation, fostering trust, and ensuring a regulatory balance.
This refresh acknowledges the AI landscape’s swift evolution since the original strategy launch in 2021. The rapid adoption of tools like ChatGPT has reshaped technology and business landscapes, pushing AI closer to everyday life. Additionally, the recent enforcement of the EU AI Act has solidified regulatory frameworks across the EU, providing guidelines for AI use in Europe.
Key measures in the updated strategy include establishing an AI regulatory sandbox to encourage innovation, commissioning studies on AI’s economic impact, and expanding digital upskilling initiatives. For the workforce, this refresh promises new paths to AI knowledge, with resources like Skillnet Ireland and Springboard+ set to provide expanded training. Ministers Burke and Calleary emphasised that AI will likely enhance, rather than replace, jobs, though this will require a proactive approach to reskilling.
Minister Burke spoke on the transformative impact of AI on business:
Minister Peter Burke TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment:
“AI presents opportunities completely unlike those we have experienced before with previous technological advancements, in terms of their potentially transformative impact for our collective good. There are clear economic opportunities for both our international competitiveness and also at individual business level.”
Burke further highlighted that Ireland must continue to be an attractive hub for AI investment, benefiting homegrown firms and multinationals alike. He encouraged SMEs to take advantage of grant funding through Local Enterprise Offices, enabling small businesses to integrate AI solutions affordably.
Minister Dara Calleary TD, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation:
“We have a huge opportunity for Ireland to harness AI for our greater good, in business, in the economy, and in wider society. We are all responsible for responsible AI. Building public trust is a huge part of our approach. We are implementing the regulatory structure to provide for the supervision and enforcement of the EU AI Act in Ireland.”
Beyond private enterprise, the refresh supports AI innovation within public services. Pilot programs are set to allow civil servants a “safe space” to experiment with AI technology, aiming to streamline services such as document handling and policy research. By embedding AI responsibly across public and private sectors, Ireland seeks to build a transparent, people-centred AI ecosystem.
The refreshed strategy also highlights the establishment of a National AI Research Nexus to bolster AI research capabilities and the launch of a national campaign to promote AI adoption among small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
By embracing innovation while championing regulatory responsibility, Ireland’s refreshed National AI Strategy seeks to foster a future where AI is both transformative and trustworthy, benefiting citizens, businesses, and public institutions alike.