Fermanagh and South Tyrone ‘must not be left behind’ in AI revolution

Following discussions with representatives from Microsoft at Stormont, Ulster Unionist economy spokesperson Diana Armstrong said Northern Ireland must ensure rural communities and industries are not left behind as AI technology advances.

“This is also a real opportunity to level up across all of Northern Ireland,” she said.

“Areas like Fermanagh and South Tyrone should not be left behind in this revolution.

“AI has the potential to help our world-class agri-food and manufacturing sectors compete on a level playing field and attract businesses that want to unlock the power of this technology.

“But that can only happen if there is genuine regional balance built into the strategy from the outset.

“We need a specific, targeted upskilling programme that reaches every corner of Northern Ireland.

“The benefits of AI cannot become a postcode lottery.”

Ian Burgess Microsoft Technology Strategist, UUP Deputy Leader Diana Armstrong MLA, UUP Leader Jon Burrows MLA and George Maybury Microsoft Public Sector Lead. (Image: Supplied)

The comments come amid increasing pressure for the Executive to publish a Northern Ireland AI Strategy, with growing recognition of the technology’s potential to transform public services, improve productivity and generate billions of pounds in economic growth.

Ms Armstrong said Northern Ireland already has many of the ingredients needed to become a leading “AI Frontier Region”.

“We already have the ecosystem, the talent and the public sector testbed to make this a reality and the economic prize is significant, with billions in potential growth on the table by 2030,” she said.

However, she stressed that rapid AI adoption must be accompanied by safeguards around privacy, bias and public trust.

“As we accelerate AI adoption across government and the economy, we must ensure robust safeguards are in place around privacy, bias, human oversight and public trust.

“Innovation without those guardrails risks undermining the very confidence we need to make this work.”

She also called for stronger strategic leadership to coordinate AI development across government departments, businesses and education providers.

“The foundations are there,” she said.

“What we need now is the strategic leadership and cross-departmental direction to unleash the full potential of AI for our public services, our businesses and our citizens.

“Time is not on our side and Northern Ireland must act with the agility this moment demands.”