As students across Ireland make the move from secondary school to third level, it’s clear that AI is already becoming a part of how they study and learn. Tara Gale, Clients Solutions Country Lead at Dell Technologies Ireland tells us more
The AI campus is no longer a future concept. It is already taking shape in lecture halls, libraries, dorm rooms, and group projects across Ireland. Students are using AI to research, summarise, translate, code, design, revise, collaborate and prepare for further education or workforce. The question for education leaders is no longer whether AI belongs on campus. It is whether students are being prepared to use it well.
AI is becoming part of learning in the same way the internet once did: first as an external tool, then as an everyday layer of academic life. The difference is speed. Generative AI (GenAI) is intuitive, widely accessible, and increasingly embedded in the tools students already use. In Ireland, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in December last year found that 66% of students have used Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot. Among 16 to 29-year-olds, 65% used GenAI. Of those who had used the technology, 28% said they had used it for educational purposes.
While the Department of Education published its Guidance on AI in Schools and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) published a national policy framework on generative AI in teaching and learning, further efforts will be required to ensure that the next generation are prepared to graduate ready for an AI-shaped economy.
Building AI literacy, not just AI use
The opportunity is significant. Used well, AI can help students ask better questions, test ideas, receive feedback, explore subjects from different angles, and create more confidently. The OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026 highlights how generative AI can support personalised learning, tutoring, feedback, and teacher productivity when it is guided by clear pedagogical principles. But the same report also warns that using AI simply to produce answers can weaken deeper learning if students outsource too much of their thinking. That is why AI literacy must become a core part of the student experience. AI literacy is not just knowing how to write a prompt. It is understanding how AI systems work, when outputs can be trusted, how bias and hallucination appear, how to protect data, how to cite or disclose AI use, and how to use AI ethically without losing original thought. Students need to learn not only how to use AI, but how to question it.
This matters across EMEA because the region is still working through a broader digital skills challenge. European Commission data shows that 43% of 14-year-old students in the EU do not reach the basic level of digital skills, far from the target of reducing low achievement below 15% by 2030. Similarly, Eurostat reported that 74.6% of young people aged 16 to 24 in the EU had at least basic digital skills in 2025, meaning one in four still did not. These figures show that AI readiness cannot be assumed simply because students are young or digitally active.
Ireland has a strong foundation on which to build. The European Union’s State of the Digital Decade 2026 ranked Ireland second in the EU for basic digital skills and fifth for generative AI adoption. However, broader European trends show why continued investment matters. European Commission and Eurostat data indicate significant digital skills gaps among young people across the EU, highlighting that AI readiness cannot be assumed simply because students are digitally active.
Developing AI literacy will be essential if Ireland is to maintain its competitive advantage and prepare the next generation for an AI-powered economy.
Make AI part of student experience
Institutions therefore need to make three shifts.
First, move AI from informal use to guided use. Many students are already experimenting with AI outside formal learning structures. The risk is that usage becomes uneven, uncritical or dependent on shortcuts. Clear guidance can help students understand where AI supports learning, where it crosses academic integrity lines, and how to use it as a thinking partner rather than a substitute for thinking.
Second, treat AI literacy as employability. The future workplaces that students will be entering will expect them to collaborate with AI-enabled tools, evaluate outputs, protect information, and solve problems creatively. AI literacy should therefore sit alongside communication, research, digital fluency, and critical thinking. It is not a specialist skill for computer science students alone. It is becoming a baseline capability for business, healthcare, engineering, design, finance, creative industries, and public services.
Third, close the access gap. A modern learning environment depends on reliable connectivity, inclusive digital platforms, and devices capable of supporting AI-enhanced research, collaboration, and content creation. The European Commission’s Digital Education Action Plan notes that 20% of low-income households lack access to computers and broadband.
For Ireland, the question of access also sits within the wider digital education agenda. The Department of Education’s Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 sets out the importance of embedding digital technologies in teaching, learning, and assessment. Through this strategy and further investment in school technology and infrastructure, the Government is supporting schools in embedding digital tools across teaching, learning, and assessment.
Building AI ready generation
The back-to-school period is therefore more than a buying cycle. It is a moment for institutions and families to reset expectations around how students will learn, collaborate, and use AI responsibly. The right learning environment should help students move from AI experimentation to AI confidence, with access to tools that support research, creativity, critical thinking, and secure digital habits.
As Ireland seeks to deliver on the ambitions set out in its National AI Strategy and strengthen its position as a leader in the responsible adoption of AI, education will play a critical role. The AI Campus is already taking shape across lecture halls, libraries, classrooms, and student accommodation. The challenge now is ensuring students are equipped not just to use AI tools, but to think critically about them, innovate with them and apply them responsibly. Success will ultimately depend on whether Ireland can develop AI-literate graduates ready to contribute to the economy of the future.