The Online Safety Commissioner, Niamh Hodnett, is scheduled to address the Oireachtas Media Committee today as lawmakers press for stronger defences against harms created and amplified by generative artificial intelligence. In her opening remarks Ms Hodnett is expected to warn that "Children can be exposed to inappropriate content and addictive design through AI recommender systems or chatbots" and that "Generative AI can be used to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and non-consensual intimate imagery. We share the public's concerns about nudification apps," reflecting long-standing concerns about AI-driven content risks and the limits of current moderation tools. According to her earlier written comments to parliamentary committees, she wants platforms to adopt effective age verification and to carry out safety impact assessments as part of broader mitigation measures. Sources: Coimisiún na Meán statements and Oireachtas committee evidence indicate those are central to her intervention. (Sources: Coimisiún na Meán; Oireachtas submissions.)

The committee will also hear officials from the Department of Communications outline plans to pilot an age verification feature within Ireland’s forthcoming digital wallet, with participation by social media firms described as voluntary. Officials are reported to say "It is important to say that the wallet itself and the age verification tool will be voluntary and that it is intended as one of a number of options for platforms to avail of in order to fulfil their regulatory obligations" and that "Participation in the pilot will also be voluntary." The proposal is being framed as one option among several to help platforms meet regulatory duties rather than a mandatory technical fix. (Sources: Oireachtas submissions; related committee briefings.)

The committee’s focus has sharpened amid controversy over the use of the Grok AI tool to produce sexualised images, including allegations of imagery involving children and non-consensual depictions of adults. Members are scrutinising whether existing rules are adequate or must be tightened to treat certain generative capabilities as outright prohibited practices. Industry and regulator witnesses suggested considering a specific prohibition on deploying AI systems able to produce intimate imagery of real people without consent and on other exploitative uses. That recommendation reflects calls from regulatory bodies and some politicians for rapid responses to novel AI-enabled harms. (Sources: The Irish Times; Labour Party statements.)

Regulatory officials have pointed to the rapid escalation of AI-related cases: the Data Protection Commission has seen a sharp rise in engagements about AI, with generative products accounting for the lion’s share of recent queries. The DPC’s chair told the committee that since 2021 AI work has expanded markedly and by 2025 AI made up over a quarter of controller engagements, with generative systems dominating new activity. Regulators say developers should reduce risks by documenting decisions and embedding human-rights safeguards into product design to avoid future enforcement action. (Sources: The Irish Times; DPC submissions.)

At EU level, the AI Act already outlaws certain practices judged to present unacceptable risk and guidance on prohibited uses has been published to help interpret those rules. The European Commission’s guidance focuses on manipulative, exploitative and other abusive AI-enabled practices and sets out the enforcement architecture that will involve national market surveillance authorities and the European data protection supervisor. Member-state regulators have warned that firms placing such systems on the market risk heavy fines and other penalties if they do not comply. (Sources: European Commission guidance; legal analyses of the AI Act.)

Committee members said they want to ensure Ireland’s regulatory response keeps pace with rapidly changing technology while maintaining co-ordination with European partners. Committee Cathaoirleach Alan Kelly warned that "The Committee is particularly concerned about the exposure of children and young people to harmful and illegal content online, including AI-generated material" and stressed the need for "robust" platform regulation and effective enforcement. Voices from across the political spectrum urged swift action: a Labour member of the committee called for immediate measures to hold platforms to account after reports that Grok had been used to generate abusive imagery. (Sources: RTE reporting; Labour Party statements.)

Regulators attending the hearing will be pressed to explain how Ireland will enforce the EU’s ban on prohibited AI practices, how the proposed digital wallet pilot will operate in practice, and what extra powers or resources domestic bodies need to respond to evolving AI harms. The committee appears poised to recommend tougher controls, clearer obligations for platform operators, and closer collaboration with European authorities to ensure that enforcement keeps pace with technological change. (Sources: Oireachtas committee materials; The Irish Times; EU legal commentary.)

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Source: Noah Wire Services