NESC Urges Ireland to Strengthen AI Foundations for Public Services, Workplaces
A new report from the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) urges the Irish Government to build strong foundations for AI integration. It calls for strengthening skills, governance, infrastructure, and public trust to maximize AI benefits and minimize risks. The report emphasizes proactive regulation, AI literacy, and human oversight for safe and ethical AI use.
The Irish Government is being called upon to establish robust foundations as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into public services, workplaces, and daily life.
A new report from the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) advocates for enhanced skills, governance, infrastructure, and public trust. This comprehensive approach aims to enable Ireland to fully leverage the benefits of AI while effectively mitigating foreseeable risks and unintended consequences.
The research emphasizes that due to the rapid evolution of AI, regulatory frameworks must be forward-looking, adaptive, and based on continuous monitoring rather than relying on reactive solutions. The study also recommends significant AI literacy initiatives, stating that «Building widespread understanding of AI is essential for workforce adaptation, democratic oversight and responsible use.»
NESC underscores the critical need for AI systems to be safe, ethical, and trustworthy in practical application, not merely in theory. The report highlights that «AI systems are probabilistic and imperfect. Meaningful human control is essential to prevent over-reliance, loss of judgement and accountability gaps.» Dr. Siobhán O'Sullivan, Senior Policy Analyst at NESC, noted a common tendency to view AI as solely a technical phenomenon. She argued that this perspective overlooks crucial aspects, explaining, «AI systems do not operate in a vacuum; they are embedded in organisations, workplaces, public services and communities, and their impacts emerge from that interaction.»
The National Economic and Social Council (NESC) is an independent body composed of representatives from employers, trade unions, farmers, the community and voluntary sectors, environmentalists, senior government officials, and independent experts. Its mandate is to analyze and advise the Taoiseach on strategic issues concerning economic efficiency, social justice, and environmental sustainability.