Category: #AI

Irish consumers 6x more likely to be scammed by falling for AI fakes

The scale and sophistication of fraudulent advertising and AI-generated scams on social media are growing rapidly, making it harder than ever for people to know what’s real. New research from Visa in Ireland reveals that people who mistake fake AI-generated content for real are six times more likely to be tricked by scammers online than those who don’t (73% vs. 12%). This highlights how digital misinformation directly increases vulnerability and underscores the importance of collective action to protect consumers and restore trust in digital platforms.
In Ireland, Visa found that people who are affected by online scams typically lose €124.50 per incident (median amount), costing the Irish economy an estimated €71.8 million annually. The impact goes beyond financial loss, causing emotional distress, increased anxiety and reduced productivity. On average, victims of online scams spend around 8.9 days resolving the issue – which is 44% of the working month.
The way people engage with content online plays a major role. Those who share a post without checking its accuracy first, are five times more likely to be targeted and impacted by online scams compared to those who tend to take a moment to verify it first (35% vs. 6%). Everyday online habits – such as skimming headlines, resharing without verifying and trusting AI-generated content – are creating new vulnerabilities that scammers are quick to exploit:
  • 59% have believed online content was genuine only to later discover it was an AI-generated fake
  • Over a third (38%) rarely read beyond a headline before forming an opinion
  • Almost a quarter (23%) have reshared a post without checking its accuracy
The ripple effect of online scams
As online scams grow more sophisticated and widespread, this shift in consumer behaviour is having a tangible impact on the wider economy. Almost half (42%) have changed how they shop online after being scammed and one in two people (50%) targeted by online shopping scams say they now avoid shopping with smaller or unfamiliar brands.
This is having a particularly significant impact on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which account for 99.8% of Ireland’s business population and depend heavily on consumer confidence to survive and grow2.
Stepping up the fight against fraud
Visa is stepping up the fight against social media scams – combining decades of experience with cutting-edge technology and working closely with banks, retailers, and digital platforms to restore trust in online commerce.
AI has been central to Visa’s approach to fraud prevention. For over 30 years, the company has used AI powered tools to help keep payments secure and stay ahead of evolving threats. In the last five years alone, Visa has invested $12 billion in technology, including building smart, AI-powered systems that detect suspicious behaviour in real time and stop scams before they reach people.
Awareness is as critical as technology. With almost two in five (39%) people believing AI will make scams harder to spot on social media, Visa is taking proactive steps to close that gap. Tackling fraud requires a united front, and Visa is committed to collaborating across the ecosystem to set new standards for consumer protection.
By working closely with banks, retailers and platforms to ensure consumers have the right advice at their fingertips, Visa is helping people recognise an AI-generated scam, understand how they work, and stay safe in an increasingly AI-driven digital world. Because the more informed people are, the harder it is for scammers to succeed.
Visa is calling on all stakeholders – platforms, banks, retailers and policymakers – to work together to raise the bar for digital trust and consumer protection.
Conor Langford, Visa Country Manager for Ireland said: “AI is transforming how we live, shop, work and connect, but it’s also reshaping the landscape for fraud. Scammers are using the same technology that brings us innovation to deceive and exploit consumers, blurring the line between real and fake. These scams can hurt real people, costing not just money but peace of mind and trust. At Visa, we’re investing in AI-driven fraud prevention and working hand-in-hand with our partners across the ecosystem to strengthen digital trust. The more informed people are, the safer our digital economy becomes. Together, we can build a more secure digital future for everyone.”
Elaine Burke, Tech journalist & host of the For Tech Sake podcast, warns: “It’s becoming increasingly difficult for people to be certain of what’s real and what’s not online. Social media feeds are flooded with content generated using AI, which is not always disclosed. This same generative AI has made it easier for scammers to create content that looks completely convincing and blends into feeds where AI slop has become the norm. Scammers can even selectively target those who interact with this type of content, knowing they are more likely to engage with it. That’s why education and awareness are so important. The more aware you are of scammers’ methods, the less likely you are to become their next success story.”
Spot the Scam: Five Smart Ways to Stay Safe on Social Media
Question the source
Scammers often mimic legitimacy with fake business pages, slick ads, AI-generated celebrity endorsements, and convincing personal messages. These tactics can look incredibly real. Before you click, pause and ask: Is this trustworthy? A moment of doubt can save you from a costly mistake.
Take a breath
Urgency is a scammer’s best friend. Promises of free gifts, massive discounts, or “limited-time” offers are designed to rush your decision. Instead, slow down. Check if the offer is realistic, research the company, read reviews and visit the official brand website before sharing any personal information.
Verify the sender – not just the profile
A message from a friend, influencer, or organisation asking for money or personal details? Don’t assume it’s legit. Confirm independently: call the person, use a verified website, or contact the business directly. Scammers often hijack real accounts to appear authentic.
Stay secure and report suspicious activity
Protect your accounts by turning on extra security features like two-factor authentication (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA) where possible. Keep your apps and devices updated and regularly review your privacy settings. If you spot a suspicious ad, post or account, report it to the social platform – and to your bank if money is involved.
Pay securely – or not at all
Never share your bank details over social media. If someone asks you to send money via bank transfer, it’s likely a scam. Always use secure payment methods that offer buyer protection. If that’s not an option, walk away.
For more information on how to pay safely, please visit: www.visa.ie/pay-safely-with-visa.html

AI-Driven Voice Quality Scoring: Measuring More Than MOS

When it comes to voice communication, call quality isn’t just a matter of technical specs—it’s a direct reflection of how teams collaborate, how customers experience service, and how businesses function every day. For years, the industry has relied on the Mean Opinion Score (MOS) to gauge voice quality. While MOS has certainly had its place, the evolution of communications—especially with hybrid work, complex VoIP deployments, and real-time expectations—has exposed its limits.

Enter AI-driven voice quality scoring. This approach doesn’t just refine how quality is measured—it reshapes what “quality” actually means in modern communication ecosystems.

Beyond the Basics: Why MOS Alone Doesn’t Cut It Anymore

MOS was originally developed as a subjective test, where people rated voice samples on a scale from 1 to 5. Over time, it evolved into a standardized, algorithm-based approximation used by many UC platforms today. But as VoIP environments have grown more complex and sensitive to a wider array of performance factors, MOS—on its own—has started to feel like a blunt tool for a nuanced job.

Why? Because MOS tends to flatten the conversation around voice quality. Two calls can have the same MOS but very different user experiences. One might suffer from occasional jitter but otherwise be clear; the other might be plagued by delayed audio, robotic voices, or one-way communication. Both might score a “4,” but would you call them equally good?

The Role of AI in Voice Quality Assessment

AI doesn’t just look at packets—it looks at patterns. By analyzing massive volumes of voice traffic data, AI models can recognize subtle indicators of poor call quality before a user even reports an issue. Think of it as upgrading from a thermometer to a full diagnostic tool that doesn’t just measure temperature but also explains the cause of the fever.

AI-powered voice scoring goes far beyond what traditional metrics offer. It can factor in elements like:

  • Real-time jitter trends and burst packet loss
  • Codec behavior in specific call paths
  • Historical baselines for what “normal” quality looks like in a given environment
  • Contextual understanding—like recognizing whether an issue is isolated or part of a larger degradation

This gives IT teams a deeper and more contextual view of voice quality, allowing them to move from reactive troubleshooting to proactive problem-solving.

Why Nuance Matters in Call Quality

Not all voice issues are created equal. A 150ms delay in a conference call might be tolerable, but the same delay on a customer support line could ruin the interaction. AI-driven scoring understands that nuance and can assign different weights to different scenarios. It evaluates more than just whether packets made it to the other side—it looks at how those packets impacted the human experience.

This matters for service assurance too. Let’s say a VIP executive has a choppy Teams call during a quarterly board meeting. Traditional MOS might tell you everything was “fine”—but AI scoring, paired with real-time analytics, can reveal a sharp increase in jitter or a codec mismatch that affected intelligibility. That level of granularity is essential when uptime and clarity are non-negotiable.

Human-Centric Scoring Meets Machine Intelligence

One of the most compelling things about AI-powered scoring is that it allows organizations to blend machine precision with human experience. That’s important because, at the end of the day, what matters isn’t just what the machine hears—it’s what the user experiences.

By correlating network metrics with actual user complaints or call abandonment data, AI models can learn what kinds of issues tend to frustrate users most. Over time, the system adapts, assigning higher importance to those patterns and helping IT teams focus on what really matters to users—not just what shows up on a dashboard.

Real Impact for Operations and Visibility

Modern voip monitoring solutions need more than uptime metrics and average scores. They need to help IT teams get ahead of problems, not just respond to tickets. AI scoring enables that by delivering actionable insights, like identifying that a specific gateway is introducing latency during peak hours or that a certain segment of users consistently sees degraded call quality due to Wi-Fi instability.

And because these tools integrate into broader monitoring environments, they allow teams to connect the dots between voice, video, and network infrastructure. It’s no longer about isolated performance—it’s about full situational awareness.

From Scorecards to Strategy

Voice quality isn’t just a checkbox item anymore—it’s part of how businesses measure productivity, customer satisfaction, and operational health. AI-driven scoring gives teams the intelligence they need to move from generic scorecards to strategic decisions. Want to know which sites are struggling with poor audio? Which devices are driving the most complaints? Or how to plan capacity upgrades based on call load and quality trends? AI has the answers, without the noise.

Looking Ahead: Smarter, Not Just Faster

As unified communication environments continue to evolve—with more cloud deployments, edge computing, and AI-powered interactions—the way we measure success has to evolve too. MOS served its purpose, but it’s time for more intelligent, user-aware metrics that reflect the complexity of today’s voice ecosystems.

AI-driven voice quality scoring offers just that: a more complete, more human, and more actionable way to understand and improve communication. It helps teams hear what matters, before it becomes a problem—and that’s something no static score can deliver.

 

5 Main Reasons Why People Prefer AI Sexting Over Real Partners

Technology has changed how people connect, and intimacy is no exception. More people now turn to AI for private conversations and sexual interactions, often finding comfort in a digital partner that feels easier to manage than a human one. You may wonder why so many choose AI sexting instead of relying on real partners, and the reasons reveal a lot about changing expectations in relationships.

This shift does not mean people no longer value real connection, but it does show how AI fills certain needs that human partners sometimes cannot. From avoiding emotional risks to enjoying constant availability, these digital interactions highlight both convenience and control. As you explore the main reasons behind this trend, you will see how AI reshapes the way intimacy is experienced today.

1.Avoidance of rejection and emotional pain

You may feel safer with sexting AI because it removes the risk of rejection. In real relationships, rejection can cause emotional pain that feels personal and difficult to manage. With an AI partner, you avoid that fear and maintain control over the interaction.

Real partners can sometimes ignore, criticize, or withdraw, which can trigger feelings of exclusion or self-doubt. These responses often hurt more than people expect, and they can affect your mood and confidence. AI chatbots, however, respond consistently and never dismiss you.

Because of this, sexting AI creates a space where you can explore intimacy without the pressure of judgment. The interaction stays private and predictable, which helps you feel more secure. You decide how the conversation unfolds, and the AI adapts to your needs.

For many, this makes sexting AI appealing as a way to enjoy sexual expression while avoiding emotional risks tied to human rejection. It offers comfort, especially if past experiences with rejection still feel painful.

2.Consistent availability without scheduling conflicts

You never have to wait for an AI partner to be free. Unlike real people, there are no work hours, social plans, or time zones to manage. This constant access makes it easy to start a conversation whenever you feel the need.

With an AI, you avoid the stress of matching schedules or negotiating time together. The interaction happens on your terms, which can feel more convenient than coordinating with a partner who has other responsibilities.

This availability also removes the pressure of interrupting someone’s day. You can engage at any moment without worrying about being a burden or a distraction.

As a result, the experience often feels smoother and more predictable. You gain control over the timing of the interaction, which can create a sense of comfort and stability.

3.Safe space for exploring fantasies without judgment

AI sexting gives you a private space where you can express fantasies without fear of embarrassment. You do not have to worry about how another person might react, which can make it easier to share thoughts you might normally keep hidden.

This sense of freedom allows you to explore ideas that may not match what you want in real life. Fantasies often serve as a mental outlet rather than a direct reflection of your actual desires.

Because there is no risk of judgment, you can test boundaries and notice what feels exciting or comfortable. This can help you better understand your preferences in a safe and controlled way.

In addition, AI does not pressure you or dismiss your thoughts. Instead, it provides a consistent response that lets you focus on curiosity rather than fear of rejection. This makes the experience feel more open and less stressful.

4.AI’s ability to remember and reference past interactions

You may notice that AI partners can recall details from earlier chats. This memory allows the system to bring up past conversations, preferences, or topics you mentioned before. As a result, your interactions feel more personal and less repetitive.

Unlike casual exchanges with strangers, the AI can keep track of your likes and dislikes. It can reference things you said in a previous session, which makes the dialogue feel smoother and more connected. This gives you a sense of being understood without needing to repeat yourself.

In addition, memory helps the AI maintain context across multiple conversations. Instead of starting fresh each time, it can build on what you already shared. This continuity makes discussions flow naturally and creates a stronger sense of familiarity.

Because the AI remembers details, you can explore ongoing themes or fantasies without interruption. This consistency creates a space that feels stable and tailored to your interests, which many people find appealing compared to starting over with a new partner.

5.Lack of pressure or expectation for physical intimacy

You may feel that real relationships often carry unspoken expectations about physical closeness. This can create stress if your mood, health, or energy does not match your partner’s needs. AI interaction removes that pressure, which allows you to engage without fear of disappointing anyone.

In many relationships, physical intimacy can decline due to stress, health issues, or emotional distance. These factors sometimes lead to conflict or feelings of guilt. With AI, you avoid those tensions because no one demands physical affection or sexual activity.

This freedom can make the experience feel safer and more comfortable. You control the pace, the tone, and the level of interaction. As a result, you focus on communication and fantasy without the weight of real-world obligations.

For some people, this lack of expectation creates a sense of relief. It allows you to explore desires privately while avoiding the common challenges that often come with physical intimacy in human relationships.

Conclusion

You now understand that people turn to AI sexting for reasons tied to privacy, safety, and convenience. It removes the fear of rejection and gives you a space without judgment.

You also see that it can feel easier than navigating real relationships, which often involve conflict and compromise. At the same time, it may create distance from real human connections.

By weighing these points, you can better decide how this trend fits into your own view of intimacy and relationships.

Cybersecurity Leader Proofpoint Launches AI Innvoation Centre in Cork

Proofpoint, a leading cybersecurity and compliance company, today announced that it is continuing to expand operations out of its international hub in Cork. The ongoing investment will bring new specialist roles to the city centre location, including data scientists and artificial intelligence (AI) and large language model (LLMs) specialists, as the company launches its AI Innovation Centre.  This project is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

Today’s cyberthreats are growing in sophistication and attackers are no longer simply targeting infrastructure; they’re targeting people. Proofpoint research shows that in response to this, 87% of global CISOs are looking to deploy AI-powered capabilities to help protect against human error and advanced human-centred cyber threats. Proofpoint continues to innovate on its AI-powered defences for organisations, with its human-centric solutions designed and deployed with data privacy and security at front of mind.

Proofpoint’s new AI Innovation Centre will create a privacy-attested AI environment, ensuring the safety and anonymity of all data used to train Proofpoint’s models. AI and ML require powerful detection models and a high-fidelity data pipeline to yield accurate detection rates, operational efficiencies, and automated protection. The AI Innovation Centre will allow the acquisition of larger data sets, allowing Proofpoint’s LLMs to be used in industry-leading, high-volume, high-velocity cases, improving overall threat detection for organisations.

“The ongoing expansion of Proofpoint in Cork is a clear reflection of Ireland’s continued success in attracting world-class companies to establish their international hubs here,” said Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. “The creation of up to 100 new roles in the coming years, including in AI and large language models, further strengthens our position as a global technology and innovation hub.”

To drive this initiative, Proofpoint will be bringing 45 new specialist roles to its Ireland location, with a continued growth trajectory of up to 100 additional roles over the coming years. The roles will include data scientists, and AI and LLM specialists.  Looking ahead, Proofpoint will also bring a security operations team to Cork, and increase roles in other functions such as its data security team. As part of this, Proofpoint is also expanding its office space in Cork.

 

“Our ongoing investment in our Ireland-based business is critical to our international growth, and to strengthening our ability to protect European organisations,” said Remi Thomas, Chief Financial Officer at Proofpoint. “Today’s cyber-attacks are growing in sophistication, and AI plays a critical role in an organisation’s defence against these threats. We are excited to tap into Cork’s technical talent base to further strengthen our industry-leading AI-driven solutions, enabling us to detect and prevent emerging threats at an unprecedented scale, while keeping data secure.”

 

“AI is a defining capability that truly sets Proofpoint apart.  We have some of the most extensive human-centric threat intelligence data, which amplifies the power of our AI solutions, and ensures that our models are continuously improving and adapting to new threats,” said Kevin Leusing, Chief Technologist, EMEA at Proofpoint. “The launch of our AI Centre here in Cork will further enhance these capabilities by integrating the latest AI advancements with our unparalleled dataset, staying ahead of even the most sophisticated attackers.”

 

“Cork continues to cement its position as a leading cybersecurity hub, and today’s announcement from Proofpoint underscores the region’s growing significance in this sector,” said Michael Lohan, CEO, IDA Ireland. “Ireland’s rich talent pool, particularly in emerging technologies like AI and cybersecurity, is a key factor in attracting such high-calibre investments.”

 

To find out more about Proofpoint’s human-centric security solutions, visit: https://www.proofpoint.com/uk

 

To read more on the launch of Proofpoint’s Cork operations, please visit: https://www.proofpoint.com/uk/newsroom/press-releases/cybersecurity-leader-proofpoint-expands-global-presence-international-hub

 

 

Create, Share, and Play in the Meta AI App with Vibes

Meta AI app has launched across Europe, and has now introduced Vibes – a brand-new feed for creating, remixing, and sharing short-form, AI-generated videos.

Vibes puts creative media sharing and AI-powered features at the heart of the Meta AI experience, marking a significant step forward in their mission to empower self-expression and fun for even more people.

Putting media generation at the heart of the experience, you can create your own videos using imaginative prompts, or remix what’s already been shared. There are options to add new visuals, layer in music, or adjust styles to match your individual taste.

This is an inherently social and collaborative creation experience, where you’re encouraged to remix, co-create, and build stories together with friends. Videos and content can be shared and posted directly to the Vibes feed, sent to friends, or cross-posted to Instagram and Facebook Stories and Reels.

Key highlights of today’s launch:

  • Vibes Feed: Create, remix, and share short-form, AI-generated videos. Explore a dedicated feed that becomes more personalized to your interests over time.

  • Collaborative Creation: Remix and co-create with friends, share content directly to the Vibes feed, or cross-post to Instagram and Facebook Stories and Reels.

  • Powerful AI Tools: Building on Meta AI’s availability across the apps you already know and love: Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp – you can now naturally with your Meta AI assistant to generate and animate images, and edit photos with advanced AI-powered tools – all in one place.

Since launching in the US, Vibes has inspired over 20 billion images made with our AI tools, and media generation in the app has jumped more than tenfold and are now excited to bring this creative energy to Europe.

Please find the full blog post here

Samsung Launches First-Ever Perplexity AI-Powered TV App

Samsung Electronics today announced the launch of the Perplexity TV App, the first-ever Perplexity AI-powered TV app on the market. Elevating Samsung’s Vision AI Companion, which brings smart, generative AI support to the largest communal screens, the Perplexity TV App offers a new and innovative AI-powered experience to help users quickly find what they’re looking for and discover new favorites.

Perplexity is an AI-powered answer engine that draws from credible sources in real time, accurately answering questions, performing deep research, and suggesting additional questions that allow curious users to engage more deeply with the content they consume.

“The first-of-its-kind Perplexity AI-powered app, now available only on Samsung TVs, broadens our Vision AI Platform offering for a more unique and personalized user experience,” said Dan Glassman, Senior Director & Head of New Business Development for Samsung Electronics. “Samsung continually brings innovative and first-to-market experiences to our device owners, and this partnership with Perplexity is the latest that will deliver cutting-edge AI technology, redefining how Samsung owners interact with their TVs.”

“Curiosity can strike at any time. Perplexity’s mission is to serve the world’s curiosity by bridging the gap between traditional search and innovative AI-driven interfaces,” said Ryan Foutty, VP of Business at Perplexity. “Samsung is the number one television brand in the world, and we are excited to bring the functionality that Perplexity users know and trust to Samsung’s television screens and device owners around the world.”

Elevating the Vision AI Companion Experience
Unveiled earlier this month at IFA 2025, the Vision AI Companion brings the next evolution of AI-powered displays to Samsung TVs and smart monitors by integrating Samsung’s most advanced AI features into a single, intuitive AI experience. As part of the Vision AI Companion, the Perplexity TV App is now available as a standalone AI agent, offering even more innovative AI-powered experiences to Samsung users.

Navigate to the Perplexity TV App on your TV’s home screen and click on it to launch. From there, Perplexity can help with planning a trip, finding which movies were directed by the Russo Brothers or creating the ultimate fantasy lineup, all directly from your TV.

 

Getting Started

The Perplexity TV App offers a sleek and visually appealing experience, going beyond text-only responses. When you ask Perplexity a question, results appear with high-quality, glanceable cards made just for Samsung TVs.

How It Works:
Access: Navigate to the Perplexity TV App via the Apps Tab or in Samsung’s Vision AI Companion, accessible via the AI Button.
Activation: Users must accept the terms and conditions and allow Perplexity to access their microphones before using the AI voice component.

(Optional): For those who don’t want to use voice commands, the onscreen keyboard or USB keyboard can be used to search with the Perplexity TV App.
Ask for anything: Whether you want recommendations for Halloween entertainment or help with an everyday task, Perplexity knows the answer.

Availability
The Perplexity TV App is now available on all 2025 Samsung TVs and will be available on 2023 and 2024 TVs with the latest OS upgrade later this year. As a bonus, Perplexity is offering a free 12-month subscription to Perplexity Pro for all users. Simply scan the QR code on the Perplexity TV app to redeem.

To learn more, visit www.samsung.com

Workday To Invest €175M in Dublin AI Centre of Excellence, Adding 200 Jobs

Workday, Inc. the enterprise AI platform for managing people, money, and agents, today announced a three year €175 million investment and 200 specialised roles to establish its AI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Dublin.

The investment, supported by IDA Ireland, expands the role of Workday’s EMEA headquarters in the company’s product research and development globally.   Since 2008, Workday’s Dublin-based teams have driven impactful R&D, including AI-driven solutions like Workday Learning and Workday Assistant.

The AI Centre of Excellence will focus on four key areas:

 

  • Product Development: Over 200 roles will be added in Dublin, helping to ensure  regional AI, cybersecurity, engineering and research expertise is reflected in Workday Illuminate, the company’s AI platform. Workday currently employs 2,200 people here, of which approximately 80% work in product research and development.

 

  • AI Upskilling: Workday has partnered with Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet to upskill 300 current employees through its AI Business Academy. In addition, through partnership with TU Dublin, over 285 employees have already graduated with certifications in AI relevant themes including Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Leadership and Team Enablement and Creating Successful Products.

 

  • AI Academic Fellowships & Partnerships: Workday’s Industry Fellowships, in collaboration with universities such as Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University (DCU) and Research Ireland will directly embed post-doctoral researchers within R&D teams in the company. This allows top-tier academic talent to apply their expertise to real-world AI and machine learning challenges.

 

  • Partnership With Irish Tech Scale-Ups: Through the Workday Innovation Network – created with Enterprise Ireland – the organisation will collaborate with Irish AI start-ups, SMEs and industry leaders such as Wrksense and Workhuman to drive innovation.

Welcoming the investment, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke T.D. said: “Since Workday acquired Irish tech innovator Cape Clear in 2008, it has evolved into a research and development powerhouse, based on a blend of talented people, technology and innovation which Ireland can uniquely provide. Workday’s decision to expand its AI footprint in Dublin is a testament to Ireland’s reputation as a global leader in technology and innovation. We are very pleased to support this investment and partner with Workday to maximise its new AI Centre of Excellence.”

“Dublin has been a cornerstone of Workday’s innovation for close to two decades,” said Graham Abell, Vice President, Software Engineering & Ireland Site Lead, Workday. “This latest investment will power our next chapter—pioneering the next generation of ERP, built for the AI era.”

“Workday’s decision to expand its AI footprint in Dublin is a testament to Ireland’s reputation as a global leader in technology and innovation. This investment of €175 million and 200 jobs over the next 3 years will further strengthen Ireland’s position at the forefront of AI research and development. I would like to wish Workday every success for this AI Centre of Excellence and I look forward to our continued partnership,’’ said Michael Lohan, CEO, IDA Ireland.

To support its continued growth in Europe, Workday will open a new, state-of-the-art EMEA headquarters at College Square, Dublin 2. The headquarters will include a new Customer Experience Centre (CXC) – an immersive space for European customers to collaborate alongside Workday product experts and senior leaders. Current career opportunities can be viewed at Workday’s online careers centre here.

Building Cyber Resilience in the AI era: Five ways Irish organisations can stay ahead

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the cybersecurity landscape across Ireland. While it’s unlocking new efficiencies and accelerating innovation, it’s also giving cybercriminals new evasive tools to launch faster and more sophisticated attacks. Across Ireland, organisations are navigating a new era of cyber risk defined by speed, sophistication, and AI.

As Dell Technologies continues to work closely with Irish businesses to modernise their digital infrastructure, it’s clear that cybersecurity must evolve in tandem, as a strategic enabler of trust and resilience. Threat actors are using AI to enhance ransomware, zero-day vulnerabilities, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) all making advanced spear-phishing much harder to identify, outpacing conventional security measuresAccording to the latest Dell Technologies Innovation Catalyst Study, 84% of Irish organisations view security as a key part of their business strategy, yet many continue to struggle with balancing innovation and security.

Almost all respondents (96%) admitted that integrating security into wider business strategies is proving difficult. These figures highlight that organisations must rethink their cybersecurity strategies to adopt proactive, intelligent, and resilient approaches that keep pace with the evolving threat environment.

Here are five ways to stay resilient against cyber threats:

1.Adopt zero trust for AI Security 

As threat actors use AI to scout, steal credentials and adapt attack techniques, traditional perimeter-based defenses fall short.

That’s why more Irish organisations are adopting a Zero Trust model built on the principle of “never trust, always verify” ensuring that every user, device, and application is continuously authenticated, regardless of location.

The benefits are clear, latest Innovation Catalyst Study revealed a 100% increase in confidence levels among Irish organisations that have adopted zero trust principles, underscoring its growing value as a security framework. By implementing zero trust principles organisations can help reduce risk by continuously verifying every access request and implementing strict authentication processes. Using role-based access controls (RBAC) and network segmentation, organisations can minimize the risk of an attack and reduce the impact radius if an attack occurs.

Zero trust is more than a security philosophy. It’s a unified and adaptive strategy for identity and access management. Through a zero trust approach, organisations not only reduce their attack surface, but also strengthen their ability to detect, respond to and contain threats.

2.Reduce the attack surface

In an environment where AI-powered threat actors are constantly probing for weaknesses, reducing the attack surface is a critical line of defense. Every exposed endpoint, unsecured API, or overlooked supply chain vulnerability represents an opportunity for adversaries to infiltrate systems, deploy malware and exfiltrate sensitive data.

To mitigate these risks, Irish organisations should begin with assessing and understanding their attack surface and related vulnerabilities. From there, they should have a layered defense strategy focused on securing entry points and minimising exposure. This includes strengthening authentication, encrypting data, regularly testing for vulnerabilities and actively monitoring endpoints. Keeping systems patched and devices hardened further limits risks.

By reducing the attack surface, organisations make themselves a harder target, thereby decreasing the likelihood of an attack.

3.Continuously detect and respond to threats

AI-powered attacks are capable of mimicking legitimate behavior and evading traditional security tools, and organisations need to combine advanced threat detection with rapid response capabilities.

Leveraging AI and machine learning, organisations can monitor operational data, detect anomalies, and trigger automated responses in real time.

This AI-powered threat intelligence system builds upon itself, making it smarter and better able to identify and address attacks.

For many Irish organisations who need assistance scaling threat detection and response. Partnering with a trusted third-party provider offers round-the-clock monitoring, faster reaction times, and support in managing complex security operations. Dell Technologies continues to invest in AI-driven security solutions that help Irish organisations stay ahead of emerging threats while simplifying operational complexity.

4.Plan an incident response and recovery plan

While prevention is often the first step to a cybersecurity strategy. A strong cybersecurity strategy includes not only prevention, but also a well-defined plan for response and recovery.

Organisations here in Ireland need to create and routinely practice a robust Incident Response and Recovery (IRR) plan that outlines how to detect, contain, communicate and recover from cyber incidents. The plan should outline departmental roles and responsibilities, internal and external contacts and partners, communication protocols and include regular testing. Preapproved messaging templates and routine plan updates are also essential to maintaining operational continuity during a crisis.

Backing up critical data and applications offline or separated from production workloads helps guard it against ransomware attacks and ensures business continuity.

By preparing for disruption, Irish organisations can restore critical functions with resilience, speed, and confidence.

5.Empower employees as a first line of defense

Technology alone isn’t enough; employees remain the most critical line of defense.  Organisations here in Ireland needs to create a culture of vigilance through employee awareness programmes that integrates continuous education, open communication, real-world simulations, and a culture of shared accountability. For example, incorporating attack simulations that reflect AI-specific threats like advanced phishing and deepfakes helps equip employees to recognise and respond to evolving threat actor tactics.

Collaboration across the technology ecosystem also plays a vital role in strengthening cyber resilience. Dell Technologies, together with partners like NVIDIA, is helping organisations better understand how AI-driven attacks evolve.

NVIDIA’s new AI Kill Chain Framework reimagines the traditional Cyber Kill Chain for the AI era, outlining how adversaries target AI systems through stages such as Recon, Poison, Hijack, Persist, and Impact — often cycling through these stages to adapt and escalate their tactics. This framework offers valuable insights into how attackers’ probe, manipulate, and maintain access within AI ecosystems, helping defenders anticipate and disrupt evolving threats before they lead to broader compromise.

As threat actors evolve using AI to launch increasingly sophisticated attacks, organisations must respond with equal force and foresight. Traditional defenses alone are insufficient. A modern cybersecurity strategy demands a proactive, layered approach that integrates advanced technologies, incident response planning, and a vigilant workforce.

As we mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it’s an important reminder that AI is transforming both the opportunities and the risks facing Irish businesses, making it more critical than ever to invest in continuous vigilance, awareness, and adaptation. By embedding resilience at every level of their cybersecurity strategy, Irish organisations can better safeguard their operations and lead with confidence in an increasingly AI-driven world.