The event at the RDS will look at innovation in AI, as well as issues around safeguards and security

Dublin to host major AI summit amid safety concerns

by · RTE.ie

Around 1,500 people are expected to attend a major international artificial intelligence (AI) summit at the RDS in Dublin today.

The event is expected to be one of the largest gatherings of the AI sector and policymakers in Europe this year, with Ireland hosting it as part of the country's EU presidency.

The summit will look at research and innovation in AI, as well as issues around safeguards and security in the sector.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin will give the opening address, with a number of industry speakers - including Microsoft's Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar, and Anthropic's EMEA head Guillaume Princen - also taking to the main stage.

Microsoft's Brad Smith told RTÉ News yesterday that there needed to be more guardrails for AI and more requirements around incident reporting.

The summit takes place against the backdrop of rising concern over appropriate safeguarding around AI, as the sector continues to grow at an exceptional rate.

In recent months there have been numerous high-profile incidents where AI agents went rogue and hacked into government bodies and companies across the world.

The event comes as the Government here just published what it calls a "major report on AI adoption and enablement across Irish enterprise".

The study, prepared by Accenture for the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment - examines the application of AI in the manufacturing, construction and tourism sectors.

The report found that, while the adoption of AI by Irish enterprises is growing, considerable scope remains to increase both the number of businesses using the technology and the depth of its application.

It notes that this is particularly relevant for small and medium-sized enterprises, which may face challenges relating to skills, awareness, data, cost, technical capacity and access to appropriate expertise.

People Before Profit has said that it - along with activists - will be staging a protest outside the summit at the RDS.

The group is critical of the high amounts of electricity and water used by data centres, as well as what it describes as the pressure that the growing AI and tech sector puts on climate targets, and the impact on job creation.