He wrote his thesis on using AI to manage the input of different sensors for a vehicle, which helped get him a visiting scientist position at NASA's Jet Propulsion Labs. There, he contributed to the Pathfinder mission to land the Sojourner rover on Mars. Next, he and his partner, the British-Nigerian novelist Sarah Ladipo Manyika, moved to Silicon Valley, where he became a consultant for McKinsey and had a front-row seat to the dot-com bubble and subsequent crash. He wrote extensively on how tech breakthroughs impacted the real world, publishing a book in 2011 about how the massive amount of data generated by the internet would become critical to business.

The National Youth Assembly on AI was organised by the Government as part of its aim to demystify this technology. As part of the Government's national AI strategy, young people from across Ireland are being invited to share their thoughts on the tech and how it can be used. Young delegates are today (12 October) attending the National Youth Assembly on Artificial Intelligence at the Tangent ideas workspace in Trinity College Dublin (TCD). These delegates are being joined by guest delegates from groups such as Spun Out and Foróige. Together, they will discuss AI and present their recommendations and thoughts to the Government.

Ireland has appointed Dr Patricia Scanlon as its first AI Ambassador to facilitate the Government's AI adoption strategy launched last year. Patricia is the founder and former executive chairperson of the speech recognition tech firm called SoapBox Labs. Ireland's'AI – Here For Good' strategy focuses on how technology can be utilised in human-centric and ethical ways to improve the lives of its citizens. Dr Scanlon, a member of the Enterprise Digital Advisory Forum (EDAF), will work closely with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. She will work on demystifying AI and promoting the positive impacts it can have in areas such as transport, agriculture, health and education.

Ireland's first ambassador for artificial intelligence (AI) has been appointed. Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy TD, yesterday (Tuesday May 10) appointed Dr Patricia Scanlon to the role. The doctor will lead a national conversation on the role of AI in Irish lives, emphasising Ireland's commitment to an ethical approach in the use of the technology. Minister Robert Troy said, "Digitisation is transforming our lives and our economy and artificial intelligence will be at the forefront of this transformation. It is widely used in so many areas of everyday life from helping us choose what films we watch to how we book flights and so much more."

The Government has appointed Ireland's first Artificial Intelligence Ambassador. Businesswoman Dr Patricia Scanlon is taking up the role and will be tasked with communicating with businesses, schools and institutions about the benefits and risks of AI. She is the founder and Executive Chairperson of SoapBox Labs, which uses artificial intelligence in the development of voice and speech recognition applications designed for children's voices. From robots and facial recognition software, to social media apps and streaming platforms - AI is playing an increasingly significant role in people's lives. There are ethical concerns about the technology when it comes to privacy, surveillance, bias and discrimination.

Many governments are increasingly approaching artificial intelligence with an almost religious zeal. By 2018 at least 22 countries around the world, and also the EU, had launched grand national strategies for making AI part of their business development, while many more had announced ethical frameworks for how it should be allowed to develop. The latest is Ireland, which has just announced its national artificial intelligence strategy, "AI – Here for Good". It aims to become "an international leader in using AI to benefit our economy and society, through a people-centred, ethical approach to its development, adoption and use". This is to be obtained via eight policy commandments, including increasing trust in and understanding of AI by using an "AI ambassador" – a veritable AI high priest – to spread the message around the country.

Many governments are increasingly approaching artificial intelligence with an almost religious zeal. By 2018 at least 22 countries around the world, and also the EU, had launched grand national strategies for making AI part of their business development, while many more had announced ethical frameworks for how it should be allowed to develop. The latest is Ireland, which has just announced its national AI strategy, "AI – Here for Good". It aims to become "an international leader in using AI to benefit our economy and society, through a people-centred, ethical approach to its development, adoption and use". This is to be obtained via eight policy commandments, including increasing trust in and understanding of AI by using an "AI ambassador" - a veritable AI high priest – to spread the message around the country. Another aspect is to promote AI adoption by Irish businesses and the government within a special moral and ethical framework.

To practice trustworthy or responsible AI (AI that is truly fair, explainable, accountable, and robust), a number of organizations are creating in-house centers of excellence. These are groups of trustworthy AI stewards from across the business that can understand, anticipate, and mitigate any potential problems. The intent is not to necessarily create subject matter experts but rather a pool of ambassadors who act as point people. Here, I'll walk your through a set of best practices for establishing an effective center of excellence in your own organization. Any larger company should have such a function in place.