Press release
Ireland’s AI Ambassador to meet with OECD and UNESCO
From Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Published on
Last updated on
Ireland’s Artificial Intelligence Ambassador, Dr Patricia Scanlon, will be in Paris on Monday and Tuesday of next week for high-level meetings on AI with the OECD and UNESCO. Dr Scanlon will also visit innovative AI companies at the Station F start-up incubator.
Commenting on her programme ahead of the visit, Dr Scanlon said:
"At a time of growing public interest and discussion around AI, my visit to Paris is an important opportunity to meet with some of the leading policy makers and researchers in the field of AI. Both the OECD and UNESCO have very important roles in terms of developing global recommendations for ethical AI and provide a huge amount of assistance to policy makers. My visit will highlight Ireland’s ethical and human-centric approach to AI as well as helping to demystify AI and emphasizing the important role regulation will have in mitigating the risks.
"As we look to the future, AI will play an important role in our everyday lives – across healthcare, climate action and education. It is also an extremely powerful tool for businesses to innovate and increase productivity. At the same time, we must ensure that AI that is deployed is aligned with human values and users and developers interact with the technology in a safe and trustworthy way."
During her visit Dr Scanlon will meet with Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences for UNESCO as well as senior officials from the OECD Science Technology and Education Directorates. Dr Scanlon will also meet with senior officials in the French Finance Ministry dealing with AI.
In May 2022, Dr Patricia Scanlon was appointed as Ireland’s first AI Ambassador, a commitment under the government’s National AI strategy. As AI Ambassador, Dr Scanlon is leading a national conversation on the role of AI in our lives, emphasising an ethical approach in the use of technology and in particular, its adoption by enterprise.
Through a programme of engagements developed with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Dr Scanlon works to demystify AI and show its positive impacts in areas such as health, agriculture, transport and education. The programme envisaged that the AI Ambassador will have engagements with the OECD and UNESCO which are planned for this trip.
The AI Ambassador is playing a crucial role in promoting this awareness among the public and businesses of the potential that AI offers, serving as a champion of AI as a positive force for the economy and society.
Promoting the role of women in technology and encouraging young people to consider technology as a career has also been a theme of Dr Scanlon’s work to date.
The voluntary role of AI Ambassador is unpaid and was filled following an open call for expressions of interest.