Irish minister Jack Chambers praises India's role in shaping global AI future

Ireland's Minister for Public Service Reforms and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers, has lauded India's hosting of the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, praising the event as a vital platform for global collaboration on artificial intelligence.

Speaking to WION's Sidhant Sibal, Chambers, who also holds the portfolio of Public Expenditure and Infrastructure, highlighted India's role in fostering multilateral dialogue. "India is hosting a summit that is connecting the world," he said. "Generally, that kind of multilateral approach is something we support and welcome. And it's great to see a number of ministerial delegations here. AI will shape the world and the future for decades to come."

The minister emphasised the shared priorities of India and Ireland in steering AI towards citizen benefits, particularly in healthcare and public services. "We know the priority for India, like Ireland, is how we can best shape it for citizens across our countries," Chambers added. He advocated viewing AI as "a force for good" through an inclusive approach rather than focusing solely on constraints, while noting Ireland's efforts at the European level to ensure safe and responsible deployment amid rapid technological change.

Chambers also expressed admiration for India's robust tech ecosystem and mobile connectivity, suggesting opportunities for mutual learning in digital public infrastructure. Ireland aims to digitally enable most public services by 2030, and he saw value in exchanging insights to enhance safe, effective AI integration.

On the economic front, Chambers voiced strong support for the recently concluded India-EU Free Trade Agreement, hailed as the "mother of all deals" following its announcement in late January 2026. He expressed confidence that the deal would secure approval in the European Parliament."I expect the further deepening of economic integration to come from this trade agreement," Chambers said. "There's confidence, momentum and positivity at the back of the free trade agreement."

Addressing ratification prospects, he contrasted it favourably with other deals. "My sense is that the trade deal with India will get more majority support and I think will pass and that's only positive," he remarked. "I think there has been very little negativity actually about the trade deal with India. So I don't see why or how the Parliament would seek to slow this down."

The minister pointed to substantial growth potential, noting that Ireland-India trade had already increased 90 per cent over the past decade without an FTA, and EU-India trade is projected to double in the coming years. He viewed the agreement as a boost for sectors like life sciences, pharmaceuticals, and digital innovation, reinforcing openness and rules-based trade amid global challenges.