Brian McElligott

The guide, available from the firm’s website, gives an overview of how the AI industry is developing in Ireland as well as how EU guidance and regulation is shaping up.

The European Commission is proposing a regulatory environment based on a strong legal and ethical framework including key elements such as: human agency and oversight, technical robustness and safety, privacy and data governance as well as transparency.

During the course of its review, the EU has also considered other interesting issues such as whether it will be necessary to create a specific legal status for robots with a view to making them electronic persons with rights and responsibilities.

Partner Brian McElligott said: “AI is already having a significant impact on our everyday lives, and with this guide we highlight some of the challenges and opportunities of developing and using AI in business.

“It is great to see the work of agencies such as ICTSkillnet, IDA and EI leading to the creation of a burgeoning AI ecosystem in Ireland. No doubt some will criticise the EU’s robust legal and ethical approach and say that it will widen the gap between the advances made in the field in the EU and other jurisdictions. But in a world where people are becoming more privacy-savvy and new phenomenons such as deepfake videos are beginning to proliferate, it could well turn out that trust, not speed, is more likely to be the ultimate driver of innovation in this expansive area.

“It may be too early to contemplate machine ownership of AI-created works, but it is positive that this is being debated at an EU level. The key is for any organisations using AI or machine learning to ensure that this usage complies with their existing regulatory obligations.”