NESC Report - Artificial Intelligence in Service of Society: Navigating Our Way Forward

NESC Report - Artificial Intelligence in Service of Society: Navigating Our Way Forward

• From: Department of the Taoiseach

• Published on: 28 April 2026
• Last updated on: 28 April 2026

The Government today welcomed the publication of Artificial Intelligence in Service of Society: Navigating our Way Forward by the National Economic and Social Council (NESC), which sets out five priority areas and associated actions to guide the safe and responsible development and use of AI in Ireland.

The report explores how Ireland can use AI to support economic prosperity and the public good, while ensuring it is developed and used in ways that are safe, fair and accountable, and that augment human capability rather than replace or erode it. The report takes a wider perspective on AI, looking beyond asking what the technology can do to ask what it should do, for whom, and under what conditions. Rather than seeing AI as simply a set of digital tools, the report emphasises that its real-world impact depends on the decisions made now about how it is built, governed and deployed across workplaces, public services and communities. To guide this approach, the report sets out five priority areas, each accompanied by key findings and practical actions.

The five priority areas are: Responsible and Strategic Adoption, Trustworthy and Ethical Practice, Anticipatory Governance, AI Literacy and Public Legitimacy.

NESC notes that, as with any significant new technology, AI will take time to become fully embedded across the economy and society, and argues that we should use this period to put the right foundations in place, strengthening skills, governance, infrastructure and public trust, so that Ireland can fully realise the benefits of AI while minimising foreseeable risks and unintended consequences.

The Government's recently published National Digital & AI Strategy, Digital Ireland - Connecting our People, Securing our Future, sets out the Government's ambition and vision to 2030 to ensure Ireland remains a digital leader and maximises the benefits of digital and AI technologies for all parts of society. It includes 90 deliverables across several departments and agencies, many of which address the priority areas highlighted by this NESC report, including:

• a new AI Advisory Unit and a National AI Fellowship programme for the public sector;
• a new targeted sectoral strategy to drive AI adoption across the enterprise base and AI Sector Champions to spotlight AI opportunities;
• an Observatory for Business AI Readiness (OBAIR), developing intelligence on enterprise use of AI in Ireland;
• an AI and Digital literacy campaign for SMEs;
• an AI in Research transformation programme and an internationally leading AI Research Centre of scale to be established by Research Ireland;
• establishment of an AI Office of Ireland, as the central coordinating authority for the EU AI Act, and a new AI Regulatory Sandbox;
• hosting an International AI and Digital Summit as a flagship event during Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the EU;
• a new online one-stop-shop AI Skilling Platform for employers and individuals, and a nationwide Digital and AI skilling campaign;
• a commitment to ensuring all learners acquire the foundational digital skills, digital literacy, and media literacy skills needed; and
• a National Conversation on AI in research to support public engagement, informed debate and public trust.

ENDS