Key Developments

The EU Council agreed today on significant amendments to the AI Act as part of the “Omnibus VII” legislative package, introducing new prohibitions on AI-generated non-consensual sexual content and child sexual abuse material. The Council has also set fixed timelines for high-risk AI system compliance: December 2, 2027 for standalone systems and August 2, 2028 for embedded systems.

Meanwhile, Ireland has published the General Scheme of the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026, outlining plans to establish Oifig Intleachta Shaorga na hÉireann (AI Office of Ireland) under the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment by August 2, 2026.

Industry Context

These developments come as AI adoption in Ireland has surged to 91% in 2025, nearly doubling from 49% in 2024, according to the AI Economy in Ireland Report. The report projects AI will add at least $250 billion to Ireland’s economy by 2035, making robust governance frameworks critical.

Ireland’s approach reflects a distributed regulatory model where existing sectoral regulators will oversee AI systems in their domains, coordinated by the central AI Office. This positions Ireland strategically ahead of its EU Presidency from July to December 2026.

Practical Implications

For AI developers and deployers, the extended timelines provide breathing room but require immediate planning. Companies developing high-risk AI systems now have clear deadlines and must prepare for Ireland’s distributed oversight model.

The new prohibitions on non-consensual content generation will likely require developers to implement stronger safeguards and content filtering mechanisms. Irish businesses should prepare for the AI Office’s establishment and understand how sectoral regulators will apply AI governance in their industries.

Ireland’s upcoming International AI and Digital Summit during its EU Presidency will be crucial for shaping European AI policy direction.

Open Questions

Key uncertainties remain around the practical implementation of the distributed regulatory model and how coordination between sectoral regulators will work in practice. The specific powers and enforcement mechanisms of Ireland’s AI Office also await clarification in the final legislation.

How effectively the extended timelines for high-risk systems will balance innovation with safety requirements remains to be seen.

Source: EU Council