Northern Ireland launches consultation on first AI strategy

A consultation on a draft strategy for artificial intelligence in Northern Ireland’s public sector has been launched by the First Minister and deputy First Minister. The Executive Office announced the exercise on 12 August, describing the draft as a framework for responsible, ethical and fair adoption of AI.

The strategy is at draft stage and has been put out for consultation rather than adopted as settled Executive policy. Its focus is the use of artificial intelligence across public-sector services and organisations in Northern Ireland.

The Executive Office says the proposed approach is intended to place responsibility, ethics and fairness at the centre of public-sector AI adoption. Those principles are the stated focus of the consultation, which invites consideration of the draft strategy.

Government, industry and academic representatives contributed to the development of the draft, according to The Executive Office. Their involvement preceded the launch of the consultation by the First Minister and deputy First Minister.

The consultation concerns an Executive-wide strategic approach rather than the introduction of one named AI system. It is designed to address how artificial intelligence could be adopted across the public sector, subject to the consultation process and subsequent decisions.

The launch on 12 August is the public stage of work on the draft. The Executive Office has presented the strategy as Northern Ireland’s first AI strategy, with the consultation providing the route for views to be considered on its proposed direction.

Responsible use is an explicit element of the document’s stated purpose. The draft also identifies ethical and fair adoption as objectives, rather than treating the use of AI as a purely technical matter for individual public bodies.

No final strategy has been announced through the consultation launch. The published position is that the Executive Office is seeking views on a draft developed with input from public-sector, industry and academic representatives, before the approach is settled.