Better Public Services article: Building Blocks of Responsible AI in Public Institutions
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Ó: An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí, Bonneagair, Athchóiriúcháin Seirbhíse Poiblí agus Digitiúcháin
- Foilsithe: 14 Deireadh Fómhair 2015
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 30 Deireadh Fómhair 2025
On Thursday, 11 September the Assistant Secretary Network hosted an event on the ‘Building Blocks of Responsible AI in Public Institutions’. This session explored the foundational elements needed to implement ethical, transparent, and effective AI solutions in government, drawing on international best practice in digital governance and institutional reform.
The keynote presentation was by Philip McGrath, Senior Governance Specialist at the World Bank, who shared the latest research and global best practices for scaling responsible AI adoption in public institutions.
Philip’s presentation covered:
- The divergent approaches to AI in the EU, USA and other parts of the world
- AI’s potential to support development goals but also the challenge of addressing a growing AI/Digital divide between high-income and low-income countries
- Public expectations for Government AI use and trust thresholds
- Challenges for the public service including the potential use of ‘shadow AI’ and international case studies of note
- How Ireland is well advanced in putting in place clear principles and guidance on AI in the form of the Guidelines on the Responsible Use of AI in the Public Service.
- The next steps in scaling-up and embedding AI in Ireland and internationally.
We spoke to Philip about some of the trends and area of focus for governments internationally:
The was followed by a panel discussion chaired by Marianne Cassidy, Assistant Secretary with the Public Service Transformation Division in DPER. The panellists were:
- Ruth Kennedy, Revenue Commissioner
- Dr. Catherine Dempsey, Head of the Data Management & Analytics Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
- Dr. Susan Leavy, Assistant Professor, School of Information and Communication Studies and member of the AI Advisory Councilon Division of DPER. The panellists were:
The panel discussed the opportunities and challenged presented by the use of Generative AI in particular, maintaining public trust in our services and systems while utilising AI, technology procurement, as well as the tech skills required for our workforce in the future.
The panel and audience talked about how larger public service bodies (PSBs), who have more developed AI infrastructure in place, can offer guidance to other PSBs. Also discussed was the importance of shared Digital Building Blocks – a suite of open and reusable digital solutions are being provided by the OGCIO for use by PSBs.
A range of resources designed to support the adoption of AI in the public service have been developed, including clear information on Government’s Principles for Responsible AI, a Decision Framework for evaluating the potential use of AI, a Responsible AI Canvas Tool to be used at planning stage, and the AI Lifecycle Guidance tool.
These resources can be accessed at the dedicated Artificial Intelligence Resources page on the Better Public Services website.
The Assistant Secretary Network (ASN) was developed in the late 1980s through a desire by a number of Assistant Secretaries to continue to engage beyond formal business channels. Supported by the senior level training resources in the Department of Finance, and more recently, the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (DPER), the ASN has continued to develop.
In addition to its Annual Conference, the ASN principally arranges for short seminars on topics of interest throughout the year. Events are also arranged in co-operation with DPER’s HR and Leadership Capability Team to provide a “sounding board” on a range of public management issues.