🤖 Minister for AI Oversight Yet to Explore AI Tools
Ireland’s newly appointed Minister for AI, Niamh Smyth, has revealed that she has not yet used ChatGPT or downloaded the AI chatbot DeepSeek to her phone. The admission came in a recent interview with the Irish Independent.
📊 Smyth’s Role and Commitment to Learn
Smyth, serving as the junior minister at the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment, oversees trade promotion, AI, and digital transformation. Despite not having personal experience with AI tools, she expressed confidence in her ability to learn quickly and apply herself to the role, stating that she feels she knows as much about AI as her colleagues after leading briefings on the topic.
🎓 Concerns and Focus on Education
Smyth has voiced concerns over the use of AI by high school students to complete their homework. However, she is also prioritizing the importance of educating businesses and the public about the benefits of AI in creating efficiencies and demystifying its use.
🖥️ Comparison to Japan’s Cybersecurity Minister
This situation echoes the 2018 incident in Japan when Yoshitaka Sakurada, the country’s cybersecurity minister, admitted that he had never used a computer. Sakurada faced criticism for his lack of basic tech knowledge, despite his responsibilities in cybersecurity. He resigned six months later, although his departure was unrelated to his admission.
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