The Government has published a list of nine national public authorities that will be responsible for policing the new EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act.
The bodies will be given additional powers under the AI Act to facilitate them in protecting fundamental rights in circumstances where the use of AI poses a high risk to those rights.
For example, the authorities will have the power to access documentation that developers and deployers of AI systems are required to hold under the AI Act.
The list of authorities includes the Electoral Commission, the media regulator Coimisiún na Meán, the Data Protection Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, the Ombudsman, the Ombudsman for Children and the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces.
The AI Act came into force in August and bans artificial intelligence systems considered a clear threat to the safety, livelihoods and rights of people.
There will be strict new rules for high-risk AI systems used for example in critical infrastructure, law enforcement or elections.
Foundation models, such as ChatGPT, will be required to comply with transparency obligations before they are put on the market.
Systems that have the ability to create manipulated images and videos, such as ‘deepfakes’, will have to clearly show that their content is AI-generated.
The act will also regulate governments’ use of AI in biometric surveillance.
Today’s publication of a list of national public authorities fulfils Ireland’s first obligation for the national implementation of the AI Act.
“The Government is committed to comprehensive and effective implementation of the AI Act and the publication of this list is an important first step in this regard,” said Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary.
“The additional powers these authorities will acquire under the AI Act will support them in protecting fundamental rights in circumstances where certain high-risk AI systems are used,” Mr Calleary said.
The list will be notified to the European Commission.
It will be kept under review by the Minister and can be updated at any time to reflect future changes in the national authorities.
Source: rte.ie