The Executive Office of Northern Ireland has opened an eight-week public consultation on a draft Artificial Intelligence Strategy, seeking input on how the public sector should deploy AI responsibly. The consultation, launched on 12 August 2026, runs until 5pm on 7 October 2026.
The draft strategy outlines plans to use AI across Northern Ireland's public sector to improve service delivery, support research and innovation, enhance decision-making, and create economic opportunities. It is built around eight principles for responsible AI: human oversight, accountability and redress, data governance, technical safety and security, fairness and transparency, sustainability, societal benefit, and training and literacy.
What the strategy addresses
The document examines governance structures, transparency requirements, accountability mechanisms, fairness considerations, job security implications, energy consumption, and public trust. It applies to all public sector organisations and local government bodies in Northern Ireland.
Who should respond
The Executive Office is seeking responses from members of the public, businesses and employers including small and medium-sized enterprises, academic and research institutions, trade unions, public sector organisations, local government, and community and voluntary groups. Organisations with evidence on how AI may affect people with characteristics protected under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 are encouraged to share that research.
For executives and strategy professionals, understanding the eight principles and how they map to organisational risk frameworks is directly relevant. As Northern Ireland moves toward codifying these standards, public sector leaders must align their existing AI governance with emerging policy expectations. The strategy's focus on job security, energy use, and public trust suggests that procurement decisions and vendor evaluations will increasingly need to account for these criteria. Professionals can respond to the consultation using the online questionnaire, with full details and supporting documents on the Executive Office website.
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