The Government is being urged to put the right foundations in place as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded across public services, workplaces and everyday life.
A new report from the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) calls for the strengthening skills, governance, infrastructure and public trust so that Ireland can realise the benefits of AI while minimising foreseeable risks and unintended consequences.
The research finds that with AI evolving rapidly, regulation must be forward-looking, adaptive and based on continuous monitoring rather than reactive fixes.
The study also calls for major AI literacy initiatives.
"Building widespread understanding of AI is essential for workforce adaptation, democratic oversight and responsible use," according to the report.
The NESC highlights the need for AI systems to be safe, ethical and trustworthy in practice, not only in principle.
"AI systems are probabilistic and imperfect. Meaningful human control is essential to prevent over-reliance, loss of judgement and accountability gaps," the report found.
Dr Siobhán O'Sullivan, Senior Policy Analyst at NESC, said there is a tendency to treat AI as a purely technical phenomenon.
"But that framing misses the most important questions," Dr O'Sullivan said.
"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," she added.
The National Economic and Social Council (NESC) is an independent Council comprising employers, trade unions, farmers, community and voluntary sector representatives, environmentalists, senior officials from Government departments, plus independents.
The Council was set up to analyse and report to the Taoiseach on strategic issues relating to the efficient development of the economy, the achievement of social justice and environmental sustainability.
