Ireland Artificial Intelligence

Ireland is emerging as a leading player in Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly around research and development (R&D) through its good linkages between academia and industry.  Ireland is ranked 10th of 54 countries and 3rd in Europe for its AI capacity based on criteria of implementation, innovation, and investment.

There is growing demand for AI solutions across business, industrial and public sectors in Ireland.  A 2019 study commissioned by the National Standards Authority of Ireland revealed almost 40 percent of Irish companies currently use AI technology and over 50 percent planned to deploy AI by 2024.  The government is implementing a strategy to accelerate the digital delivery of public services to Irish citizens.  There is also increased investment in industry-specific R&D through centers such as the Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) to support the digital transformation of Ireland 16,700 manufacturing companies.  The IMR brings manufacturers and researchers together for R&D collaborations in emerging technologies, including AI, to encourage early adoption of new technologies.

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), Ireland’s agency supporting scientific research, funds six centers conducting AI R&D.  These centers include ADAPT - SFI’s center of excellence for digital content hosted at Trinity College Dublin, and Insight - one of the largest data analytics centers in Europe which is hosted at four of Ireland’s top universities.  Examples of the growing AI activity in Ireland are available on SFI’s website.  In response to the demand for AI research skills, SFI and its industry and academic partners, established the Centre for Research Training in Artificial Intelligence at University College Cork as Ireland’s national center for PhD-level training in AI.

Ireland’s national AI Strategy will be published in late 2020.  Under the working title of “AI - Here for Good”, the strategy will provide a direction to the design, development and adoption of AI in Ireland.  It will outline an integrated, government-wide framework giving direction to the steps needed to ensure that Ireland’s use of AI will benefit society.  In line with the EU and OECD approaches, it is envisaged that the Strategy will encompass societal opportunities and challenges of AI; enterprise development and deployment of AI; Research, Development & Innovation (RD&I); human capital considerations; data; digital and connective infrastructure; public sector use of AI; as well as ethics, governance, standards and regulatory framework.

There are strong and growing AI linkages between Ireland and the United States.  Global AI tech leaders such as Amazon, Cisco, Intel, IBM, J&J, LinkedIn, Microsoft, have established local R&D hubs with active connectivity to SFI and its network of research centers.  The IMR is developing connections with state-level R&D hubs in the United States.   

 For further information please contact Padraig O’Connor, ICT, CS Ireland - Padraig.O’Connor@trade.gov