As part of Ireland’s National AI Strategy to develop and utilise Artificial Intelligence in various arenas of society, a Top Team on Standards for AI was established, led by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI).
The pilot AI Top Team programme was conceived in 2019 under the Future Jobs Ireland plan, an ambitious, medium-term framework to create a sustainable, resilient and future-oriented economy in Ireland by 2025.
What are Top Teams?
Top Teams have been considered where a multi-organisational response to accelerate sectoral growth and remove barriers to development is required.
This particular Top Team will outline a roadmap of Artificial Intelligence as a technology. The roadmap will be furnished with the Standards that are currently available and published, also including the Standards that are known to be in development at the time of publication.
Membership comprises of AI experts who have been invited by NSAI to participate. These experts contribute their time freely, on a voluntary basis for the benefit of Irish society and Irish industry in the dawning age of AI.
What does the Top Team do?
The Top Team on Standards for AI will help implement the direction set out in the National AI Strategy and will focus on increasing Ireland's capability in developing AI as well as assisting enterprises to use AI to improve their products and services.
It will expand Ireland’s international leadership in AI Standards development and increase standards-enabled impact.
The objective of the Top Team on Artificial Intelligence is to produce a report for the Department of the Taoiseach outlining a set of recommendations that may assist in the adoption of Artificial Intelligence as an enabling technology in Irish industry and Irish society supported by Standards.
How will the project work?
At key stages throughout the process, the Top Team members will meet in plenary sessions. The Top Team will advise and confirm the detailed plans for the project. Sessions will then be organised to allow the Top Team to meet and analyse the progress and findings from each of the Working Groups.
To make efficient use of members' time, the Top Team will break into a number of Working Groups focusing on key areas:
The key areas identified are:
- Multi-national companies
- Small and Medium sized Enterprises, Start-ups and indigenous Irish companies
- Research and academia
- Legal affairs
- Skills and education
- Society.
Some members may have interests in more than one Working Group. The project is robust enough to allow for cross pollination of expertise.
As project owner and co-ordinator, NSAI will provide the Project Team to manage the coordination of the activities of the Top Team.
Each of the Working Groups will be project managed and led by members of NSAI Project Team. The Working Groups may have a designated Team Consultant representing the stakeholder group.
The outcomes of the Top Team will be presented to the Department of the Taoiseach through our parent Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.