Debate contribution: Artificial Intelligence
Debate contribution by Dr Caoimhe Archibald on .
- MLA
- Dr Caoimhe Archibald
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 24 February 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Artificial Intelligence
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4813671
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Artificial intelligence is one of the most significant technological developments in recent times. It will bring about significant change in the economy and the workforce, and it offers potential to contribute to my economic vision, most obviously in relation to productivity and good jobs. Last Monday, I met Napier AI, which is creating over 100 jobs in this field. It emphasised our skills base and our close connections with further and higher education institutions as key reasons for locating its investment here. It is important that we continue to provide that skills pipeline, and we are implementing our digital skills and our software and cyber sectoral action plans and have a range of provision across the Department to ensure that the required skills are available. That includes the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC), funded by my Department and Invest NI, which is a five-year, £16·3 million initiative delivered by Ulster University and Queen's University. It promotes AI awareness and adoption among businesses and offers hands-on support and skills development opportunities for SMEs. There are higher level apprenticeship (HLA) programmes, including IT-related qualifications from level 5 through to level 7, that contain modules on AI. Specifically, there is an HLA master's degree that combines AI and computer science delivered by Ulster University. The SKILL UP programme, which is part of my skills fund, is supporting the delivery of AI courses through our colleges and universities, and those courses range from level 3 through to level 7, with funding allocated for 95 participant places. It is a fast-developing technology, so it will be important to keep pace with the demand for skills.
270 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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