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Global organisations see solid and secure standards around AI as the way forward for the technology.
Four out of 10 Irish companies are now using some form of artificial intelligence (AI), according to research by the National Standards Association of Ireland (NSAI).
According to the research, which surveyed more than 100 professionals working in large companies and SMEs in IT, business and technology sectors, more than half of the companies plan to use artificial intelligence (AI) in the next five years.
‘Ireland is playing a central role in the development of future AI standards’
– GERALDINE LARKIN
The research, which was conducted on behalf of the NSAI by Opinions.ie, found that 82pc see the development of AI standards as ‘important’ to their business.
The figures were released ahead of a global International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) meeting on AI that will be held in Dublin, as first reported by Siliconrepublic.com last month.
Global standards in AI
The five-day meeting between 8 and 12 April, hosted by the NSAI in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin’s Adapt, a Science Foundation Ireland research centre, is the third plenary meeting of the ISO committee and will host more than 150 experts from 22 countries. They will be representing companies that include Microsoft, IBM, Google, Huawei and Fujitsu, to name a few.
Delegates will be involved in formulating standards policy in the areas of foundational AI standards, big data, AI trustworthiness, use cases, applications, computational approaches of AI, and ethical and societal concerns. They will also develop standards to help adopters, users and other stakeholders to establish trust and governance in AI systems.
“By working to standardise AI, we are enabling more reliable, consistent and efficient assessment methods and tools for users, purchasers and future regulators of AI,” explained Prof Dave Lewis of the Adapt Centre.
“Government and international bodies around the world are highlighting these as critical factors in building trustworthy AI. Being involved in international AI standards will strongly position Irish researchers and companies to exploit new commercial opportunities that arise from its adoption.”
The first ISO/IEC meeting in Dublin on AI will be chaired by Wael William Diab, chair of the ISO/IEC JTC 1 Standards Committee on Artificial Intelligence. Dr David Filip from the ADAPT Centre will be the convenor of the meeting and Barry Smith from NSAI will provide the secretariat role.
Other significant Irish contributors to the work of this international committee include Terry Landers, chair of NSAI’s ICT Standards Committee; Ray Walshe, Dublin City University; and Brian McAuliffe, HP.
“Ireland is playing a central role in the development of future AI standards,” said NSAI CEO Geraldine Larkin.
“It is my hope that much of the standards policy developed this week will be adopted by industry and society for many years to come.”
