247. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the way in which the Government is balancing its engagement with multinational AI companies (details supplied) with public concerns regarding the development of artificial superintelligence; the safeguards and oversight measures being considered; and the steps that have been taken to date to address these concerns. [75075/26]

Artificial superintelligence is a term being used to refer to a hypothetical future form of AI that would exceed human capabilities across a broad range of cognitive tasks. While such systems do not currently exist, rapid advances in AI capability have intensified international discussion regarding the governance and oversight of increasingly capable AI systems and the potential societal implications of future developments.

The Government engages with a broad range of stakeholders on AI policy, including multinational technology companies, researchers, civil society organisations, regulators and international partners. This engagement helps to inform Ireland's approach to AI governance and ensures that innovation is balanced with the need for appropriate safeguards, oversight and public trust.

Many of the technologies and models that are considered potential stepping stones towards artificial superintelligence are among the most advanced AI models currently in development. These models are increasingly being applied to scientific research, including areas such as healthcare, life sciences and materials science.

The EU AI Act provides what is often referred to as the world's first comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence. While the term "artificial superintelligence" is not specifically defined in the Act, the most advanced AI models are addressed through the Act's framework for general-purpose AI models, including those designated as posing systemic risk. These models are subject to enhanced requirements relating to risk management, model evaluation, incident reporting and cybersecurity. The European Commission AI Office has primary responsibility for the supervision of these obligations and plays a central role in the governance of advanced AI models within the European Union. In addition to its supervisory functions, it supports coordination among Member States and contributes to wider discussions on AI governance and safety.

The broader European approach combines regulation, technical standards, codes of practice, market oversight and international cooperation with the objective of ensuring that increasingly capable AI models are developed and deployed in a safe, secure and trustworthy manner.

While the rules of the EU AI Act are directly applicable, Member States are required to establish national arrangements for its implementation, supervision and enforcement. Ireland has adopted a distributed model of regulation, which builds on the expertise and statutory functions of existing sectoral regulators, supported by a central coordinating authority.

The Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Act 2026, which commenced in July 2026, establishes the national structures required to implement and enforce the EU AI Act in Ireland. Together, the EU AI Act and the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Act 2026 provide a comprehensive framework for the oversight and enforcement of AI systems, including the most advanced general-purpose AI models.

The Government's focus remains on the effective implementation and enforcement of this framework. The EU AI Act already contains mandatory requirements relating to the evaluation, monitoring, risk mitigation, serious incident reporting and cybersecurity of the most advanced AI models. Responsibility for supervising compliance with these obligations rests primarily with the European Commission AI Office, supported by the wider governance and enforcement arrangements established under the Act.