Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers met some of the world's biggest tech and AI companies as part of an official visit to San Francisco which began today.
He met with firms that have operations in Ireland including Google, Stripe, AMD, Cisco, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Workday and Waymo.
Mr Chambers was expected to tell them that the presence of so many world-leading tech firms in Ireland and the upcoming Irish Presidency of the EU means the country is uniquely placed to act as a bridge between Europe and the US in shaping AI and digital policy development.
He also outlined the Government's plans to invest in physical and digital infrastructure to support enterprise, attract investment and drive further job growth in Ireland.
As part of his US visit, Mr Chambers delivered an address at an AI conference and participate in a roundtable discussion at Stanford University.
"Ireland’s EU Presidency offers a major opportunity to help shape the European agenda at a pivotal moment for competitiveness, digital transformation and strategic resilience," Mr Chambers said.
"It gives Ireland a platform to act as a practical bridge between innovation and regulation, to drive forward discussions on AI, digital infrastructure, skills and trusted technology, and to help ensure that Europe’s approach is ambitious and innovation friendly while firmly grounded in democratic values, inclusion and fundamental rights," he added.
The visit also includes a cultural programme, with engagements involving Irish community organisations including the GAA, the United Irish Cultural Centre and the site of the planned San Francisco Famine Memorial.
