Stormont Education Minister Paul Givan has clashed again with Opposition leader Matthew O’Toole over an accusation that a speech was partly written by artificial intelligence.
Mr Givan called on the SDLP MLA to apologise and withdraw the “false allegation” from earlier this month.
But in response, Mr O’Toole said he would not back down, stating the Education Minister had not been “definitive” about whether AI had been used to edit any statement he had made in the Assembly.
The pair first clashed over the issue earlier in September when Mr Givan delivered a proposal for an Executive-led investment programme into special education, asking for the support of all the political parties around the chamber for his £1.7 billion proposal.
Mr O’Toole asked him on that occasion to confirm whether large proportion of his speech was written by AI, a question Mr Givan described as “utterly shameful”.
Mr O’Toole again raised the issue of investment for special educational needs facilities and schools during ministerial question time at the Assembly on Monday.
Referring to Mr Givan’s £1.7 billion proposal, he said: “Isn’t it cynical to come to this chamber and throw around numbers when there is no clarity on when or how this investment is going to be delivered?”
Mr Givan said: “I think the member knows the cynical comment he made during that debate in terms of AI and maybe in responding to me he will have an opportunity to retract what was a false allegation and apologise for it.”
Mr O’Toole said he would not be “retracting or apologising”.
He added: “My job is to ask the minister questions, I make zero apology for that.
“The minster is more than capable of coming in here and defending himself.”
Mr O’Toole went on to refer to a written question he had sent to the minister asking whether any AI tool had been used to edit any statement he made to the Assembly.
The SDLP MLA said: “His answer from his department was no such information is held.
“So he can’t be definitive in denying that. I think I will infer from his statement that some tool was used.”
Mr Givan hit back: “Never mind artificial intelligence, I am concerned about actual intelligence when the member raises these questions.”
He added: “His own party put out a statement welcoming the use of AI, his own member from Foyle pays a subscription for AI to assist her in her job.
“If there is a cynic in this Assembly, it is the member for South Belfast, leader of the so-called Opposition.”
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