By Martin Patterson, Head of Innovation
Last week I attended the Dublin Tech Summit 2025, hosted at the RDS. It was a great day of discussion across a range of subjects- although the primary focus was inevitably AI!
While many of the presentations sounded notes of caution around existing and emerging security threats and economic challenges, there was also a great degree of positivity about the Irish tech sector and our ability to adapt and thrive in an evolving landscape. We already have such a strong tech industry in this country, which is growing all the time, responding to challenges and taking advantage of new opportunities. Some of the young innovators and startups left with me with a great sense of excitement for the years ahead.
There was a focus on necessary precautions and the need to embrace emerging technologies securely and within a comprehensive security infrastructure. Organisations must not only adapt to current threats, but continually adjust their security infrastructure for new threats as we progress through a period of rapid change.
Unlocking the Potential of AI
The morning’s main stage discussion focused on unlocking AI’s potential. Fergal Reid, VP of AI at Intercom, described AI as an “existential change.” He mentioned his concern that the European AI Act is extremely complex and that he is not confident that it will provide the necessary impact.
Guillaume Princen, Head of EMEA with Anthropic, emphasised that safety should be everyone’s priority with regard to AI. We must all “put safety at the heart of everything,” he advised. However, he also spoke positively about the rapid progress of AI, remarking that we are moving towards a “digital renaissance” in the field. He predicts that, in the near future, we will see AI agents work autonomously for hours, broadening the scope of their contribution to projects and processes while requiring new security provisions.
AI Goes Rogue
During the “AI Goes Rogue” presentation, Sillie Pettai, CEO of Smart Cap, spoke insightfully on “managing autonomous threats.” He remarked that most tools we now use have AI elements, and this will only increase.
While we often focus on the threats posed by AI, Andriy Kusyy, CEO of LetsData, gave an enlightening talk on how AI is being used to combat misinformation and deepfakes on social media and elsewhere. We’ve heard plenty in recent years about bad actors using misinformation to disrupt elections, businesses, and government functions. However, AI is now being used effectively to identify bad actors and malicious activity.
There were also fascinating discussions around Agentic AI- AI which is designed to act autonomously, making decisions without human intervention. I’ve no doubt we’ll be hearing a lot more about it in 2025.
Professor David Hickton, a leading cybersecurity expert, closed the day with an encouraging call to action. He stated that we need to move fast, innovate, and work together to move forward securely and take advantage of the opportunities discussed during the day. This focus on collaboration and innovation, and the discussions on Agentic AI, were my main takeaways from a great event.
