Senior ministers from Jersey and Guernsey represented the Channel Islands at the 43rd British-Irish Council Summit, held in Northern Ireland, on 12–13 June.
The Summit brought together leaders from across the UK, Ireland, the devolved administrations, and the Crown Dependencies to discuss the theme: ‘The Role of AI in Reform and Transformation’.
Jersey was represented by Chief Minister Deputy Lyndon Farnham and Minister for External Relations Deputy Ian Gorst. Guernsey was represented by Deputy Lyndon Trott OBE, President of the Policy & Resources Committee, marking his final external engagement before retiring from politics.
The Summit focused on how Artificial Intelligence can be leveraged to reform public services, including healthcare and administration, while addressing the challenges and risks associated with its wider implementation.
Deputy Farnham emphasized the importance of intergovernmental cooperation: “The British-Irish Council remains a vital forum that brings together member administrations to discuss, and address, our many joint challenges and opportunities. Deputy Gorst and I had useful conversations with ministers from across the British Isles against the backdrop of challenging global and national events.
“I would like to thank the First Minister and Deputy First Minister for the kind hospitality that we were shown throughout the Summit.”
Deputy Gorst highlighted the practical benefits of AI for island communities: “It was immensely worthwhile to discuss how AI can enhance our public services, particularly in health diagnosis and prevention of illness. We will be sharing expertise with other jurisdictions which are exploring advances in many of the same areas.”
Deputy Trott reflected on both the Summit and his career in public service: “It was a pleasure to again represent Guernsey at the 43rd British-Irish Council Summit, hosted by the Northern Ireland Executive today. The Council had the opportunity to discuss the benefits and challenges of AI use in delivering public services, allowing for the sharing of experiences and best practice which can be used to inform the development of our own policies on island.
“This Summit carried particular meaning for me as it is my last external engagement before retiring from politics at the end of this month, after 25 years of public service… It has been one of the great honours of my public life to represent Guernsey at the British-Irish Council table.”
