Northern Ireland opens consultation on draft AI strategy

Northern Ireland’s Executive Office has launched a consultation on a draft AI strategy aimed at guiding responsible, ethical and fair adoption across the public sector. First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said the plan is intended to improve public services, support workers, businesses and communities, and ensure AI is applied safely and consistently.

The draft strategy was developed with input from government, industry and academia, with Chief Scientific and Technology Adviser Professor Helen McCarthy describing a human-centred approach designed to augment human capabilities, preserve human agency and uphold integrity, transparency and inclusion. The strategy also aims to give citizens confidence in public-sector AI use while offering a blueprint for other sectors building their own capability.

The plan is grounded in eight key principles: Human Oversight, Accountability and Redress, Data Governance, Technical Safety and Security, Fairness and Transparency, Sustainability, Societal Benefit, and Training and Literacy. The consultation will run for eight weeks and closes on 7 October 2026, after which analysis will inform a final strategy for Executive agreement before publication.