Ireland doesn't have a specific legal regime applicable to AI, yet it is widely deployed across a myriad of industries.

We currently look to existing laws and try and fit AI into them. This isn't new  - think of click-wrap in the 1990's for example, where we were constantly trying to adapt copyright legislation,  which was more suited to old-style licences signed in manuscript.

So when we want to incorporate AI applications into our businesses,we look for guidance in the strangest of places - the Employment Equality Acts 1988-2015 for HR deployments ; the case of Donoghue -v- and Stephenson from 1932, when looking at general liability;  and even the Control of Dogs Act 1986, when trying to find some analogies as to how robots or mobile AI might be treated! 

On 21 April the EU published its long awaited proposal for an AI Regulation. However that's just the beginning. It now must go  through the European Parliament and Council for consideration. The various stakeholders will be getting their lobbyists on the case, so it is likely to be some time before it becomes law - after many amendments. And of course technology may have moved on yet again by then!

In the meantime we will continue to try and fit a square peg into a round hole.

Click to view the chapter I have recently authored to find out more on Artificial Intelligence in Ireland: Artificial Intelligence Comparative Guide - Technology - Ireland