Minister With A Special Responsibility For AI Has Never Used ChatGPT
Minister With A Special Responsibility For AI Has Never Used ChatGPT
Text: Izzy Copestake
Niamh Smyth says she has “much to learn”, but will learn fast.
Niamh Smyth, who was appointed junior minister at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with a special responsibility for trade promotion, AI and digital transformation, has admitted that she has “much to learn” about artificial intelligence.
Smyth admitted that she has never used ChatGPT and does not have DeepSeek downloaded on her phone, adding “It’s all a new learning curve, but I will learn fast and apply myself to the new role”. Deep Seek is a new Chinese AI app which has overtaken ChatGPT as the highest rated free application on the app store, and has been downloaded over 10 million times.
AI is becoming a growing issue in Ireland, particularly in energy consumption, election integrity, financial fraud, and regulation. Data centres now consume over 21% of the country’s electricity, prompting restrictions on new projects and a push for renewable energy. There are also concerns about AI-driven deepfakes and a spike in AI is being used in increasingly sophisticated financial fraud schemes, such as cloning webpages and creating fake social media adverts. More recently, concerns around the use of AI in schools have been raised, particularly as teachers lack official guidance on tackling the issue.
Speaking on the topic of AI being used with homework, Smyth stated that she has met with the secretary general of the department, and joked that she hoped her eight-year-old daughter Juliet is not using AI to do her homework.
As AI becomes more advanced and readily available, the need to tackle the treat it poses becomes more urgent. At present, the government lacks a comprehensive strategy to address the challenges posed by AI— other then incorporating it into the title of Smyth as a new junior minister.
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