New government office to 'seize AI opportunities'

Alfred Cannan said the new office was set to be operational "before the end of the year"

A new office to harness the benefits and mitigate the potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence (AI) is set to be established by the Manx government.

Plans for an office for AI development and regulation, which would also help to digitise public services as part of a push to deliver £50m of savings over five years, were announced at the annual Government Conference.

Chief Minister Alfred Cannan said capabilities of AI would "significantly challenge the status quo" and those who were "unprepared" would "struggle to remain competitive".

The office would be designed to "seize the economic opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) and respond to the challenges it presents", he said.

In his opening address at the 2025 conference at the Comis Hotel, in Santon, Cannan said: "Other nations are starting to move forward and we need to catch up."

The island "must move quickly" with public and private sectors working "in lockstep", he said.

The office, set to be operational "before the end of the year", he said, which would "enable both government and business to work together in coordinating and driving forward the island's response to the AI revolution".

The chief minister delivered the opening speech of the 2024 Government Conference

Cannan said the island would "need to look at skills and training" as part of the move to harness the technology.

A "growing demand"for governments to regulate AI would also need to be "considered responsibly" as it could create opportunities for the island's economy, he said.

The EU's recent Artificial Intelligence Act was an "indication of where things may be heading" and the Isle of Man would "inevitably have to consider its position", he added.

Other issues on the agenda at the conference are set to include balancing healthcare needs costs and capacity, managing migration and national air and sea connectivity ambitions.