More than 350 business leaders, policymakers and innovators gathered at the Galmont Hotel & Spa last Thursday for TechIreland’s National AI Meet 2025, held in partnership with itag and supported by leading partner Data2Sustain and Enterprise Ireland.
The invite-only event put Galway firmly at the centre of Ireland’s AI conversation, mixing high-level debate with live demos of the latest tools. Central themes were energy use, trust in AI systems and the rise of so-called “AI agents” that can work across industries, automating several work processes resulting in an increase in “AI native” companies.
Opening the conference, Minister for Digital Transformation and AI, Niamh Smyth stated that the goal for Ireland in terms of AI is to “Start, scale and succeed” in order to maintain competitiveness. She confirmed the Government’s plans for a new National AI Office in 2026 to oversee the adoption of the EU AI Act, in addition to highlighting supports such as Springboard + and Charter for Digital Inclusion to facilitate upskilling.
Keynote speaker Sean Blanchfield, CEO of Jentic, urged decision-makers to “plan for a different economy” before Ireland falls behind. He called for national action on energy, particularly offshore wind development on Ireland’s west coast.
itag’s Sharon Walsh, senior VP of technology at Fidelity Investments and chair of itag and itag Skillnet, said AI had “moved from the margins to centre stage,” stressing that businesses are now treating it as a leadership issue, with AI training embedded across all itag’s AI upskilling programmes such as the Postgraduate Cert in AI for Professionals, in association with the University of Galway.
Clement Egan, CTO of Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail, discussed how agentic AI will be deployed using the new National Train Control Centre in Dublin, improving accessibility for passengers with disabilities and enhancing the overall customer experience.
Language and culture were also on the agenda. Tomás Ó Síocháin, CEO of Údarás na Gaeltachta, outlined how new Irish-language AI models are being developed to support public services and reduce barriers between dialects, ensuring that Irish will not only maintain but increase its presence in the digital world.
Other contributors included Peter O’Connell of the Code Institute, who cautioned against hype without strategy, showcasing their newly developed AI Maturity Assessment; and Gary Leyden of InsTech.ie, who underlined the need for trust and transparency as AI becomes embedded in financial services.
With its mix of policy, innovation and local leadership, the National AI Meet 2025 showed once again why Galway is playing a pivotal role in shaping Ireland’s digital future.
