The Dell Technologies Forum took place at the RDS in Dublin with Peter O’Mahony, former Ireland rugby captain and Grand Slam winner, Lynne Cantwell, most capped Irish women’s rugby player and Head of Women’s Strategy at the IRFU, David Humphreys, former Ireland international and Performance Director at the IRFU headlining the event which showcased how AI can help organisations drive peak performance, increase productivity and spark innovation.
The Forum brought together approximately 600 of business and IT leaders to explore the latest developments in AI-powered transformation, the next generation of AI PCs, modern data centres and multicloud strategies. Conversations centred on how these advances can help strengthen competitiveness and unlock new growth opportunities.
Across the keynote, solutions expo, curated breakout sessions, insightful panels and more, decision makers heard from a range of exciting experts and speakers on the innovative solutions that can empower them to transform at speed and scale up their success.
This comes as Dell’s Innovation Catalyst Study 2025 revealed that while 76% of Irish organisations view AI as a strategic driver of business growth, almost half (46%) are struggling to keep pace with rapid technological change and concerns around security, expertise and compliance.
Peter O’Mahony took to the stage to share lessons from elite sport on building a high-performance culture on and off the pitch, while Lynne Cantwell and David Humphreys discussed how teamwork, leadership and innovation can help organisations thrive in an era of technological transformation.
Other speakers included Jason Ward, EMEA North Vice-President and Managing Director of Dell Technologies Ireland; Alyssa Boyle, Head of Commercial Operations at Studio Ulster; and Gemma Leo, Head of Business Support & Projects at the Crann Centre.
Speaking at the Dell Technologies Forum, Mark Hopkins, General Manager of Dell Technologies Ireland said: “AI is no longer a question of “if” – it’s a question of how to make it work better, faster, and more securely to provide the right outcomes for your business. Leaders across Ireland are now looking to scale AI responsibly, modernise infrastructure and prepare their workforce for what’s next. Through this year’s Dell Technologies Forum, we’re bringing together the technologies, insights, and collaborations that help businesses turn ambition into action. Whether it’s scaling GenAI, modernising infrastructure, or empowering the workforce with AI-enabled devices, the Forum is where organisations see what’s possible – and how to make it real.
“The insights of Irish rugby legends, alongside leading voices from the technology and business sectors, highlighted how teams can achieve peak performance – whether on the field or in the boardroom. At Dell Technologies Ireland, we are committed to helping organisations across the country harness AI and emerging technologies to innovate with confidence and turn potential into tangible results.”
Gemini image editing just got a major upgrade with Nano Banana, unlocking a world of creative possibilities. With Nano Banana, anyone can turn a single photo into countless new imaginative creations, allowing people to transform, remix, and elevate their images like never before.
Nano Banana introduces an array of advanced features designed to empower every user. These include the ability to keep people or pets consistent across edits, blend multiple photos together, selectively alter parts of an image, and seamlessly apply styles from one object to another- all while maintaining the original photo’s essential details. An enhanced understanding of prompts also ensures that bringing creative visions to life is easier and more intuitive than ever.
Nano Banana democratises image editing, empowering everyone, regardless of design background or technical expertise, to bring their ideas to life by simply typing a prompt and watching it materialise in seconds.
Get creative with Nano Banana and reimagine existing photos as far as your imagination will take you, some exciting trends to get started with are:
Action-Figure Portraits: Transform yourself or your pet into a glossy custom miniature figurine
Retro Makeovers: Jump into the 70s,80s, 90s and beyond with everything from new hairstyles to fashion
Picture yourself anywhere: Transport yourself to different places, outfits, hairstyles or even decades
Career Swaps: Become a chef, pilot, or astronaut in seconds
You can try out Nano Banana now on the Gemini App or on gemini.google and transform your pictures instantly.
The intersection of animation technology and business transformation is creating unprecedented opportunities for Irish tech companies
The animation industry is undergoing a technological revolution that extends far beyond entertainment. Belfast-based Educational Voice is at the forefront of this transformation, leveraging cutting-edge animation technologies to solve complex business communication challenges for Ireland’s thriving tech sector. Their innovative approach combines traditional 2D animation expertise with emerging technologies like AI-assisted production, real-time rendering, and data-driven personalisation.
As Irish tech companies scale globally, they face increasing pressure to communicate complex technical concepts to diverse stakeholders—from investors and partners to end-users and internal teams. Educational Voice has positioned itself as the crucial bridge between technical complexity and visual clarity, developing animation workflows that integrate seamlessly with modern tech stacks whilst delivering exceptional creative output. Their Belfast studio has become a hub for animation innovation, attracting tech companies from across Ireland and the UK seeking to transform how they communicate.
The convergence of animation and technology represents more than aesthetic evolution—it’s fundamentally changing how businesses approach knowledge transfer, product demonstration, and user onboarding. Michelle Connolly, founder and director of Educational Voice, observes: “We’re not just animators; we’re communication technologists. Our role is to harness animation technology to solve real business problems, whether that’s explaining complex SaaS platforms, visualising data architectures, or creating interactive training systems that scale across global organisations.”
The Technical Architecture Behind Modern Animation Production
Modern animation production has evolved into a sophisticated technical discipline requiring expertise across multiple technology domains. Educational Voice’s production pipeline integrates cloud-based rendering farms, version control systems, and collaborative platforms that mirror the workflows used in software development. This technical infrastructure enables rapid iteration, parallel production streams, and seamless integration with client systems.
The studio employs JSON-based animation frameworks that allow for programmatic control of animation elements, enabling dynamic content generation based on real-time data inputs. This approach proves particularly valuable for tech companies requiring animations that adapt to user segments, product versions, or market conditions. API integration capabilities mean animations can pull live data from client systems, ensuring content remains current without manual updates.
Render optimisation technologies reduce production timeframes by up to 60% compared to traditional methods. GPU-accelerated rendering, distributed processing, and intelligent caching systems enable Educational Voice to deliver enterprise-scale animation projects within aggressive tech industry timelines. The studio’s technical team includes specialists in shader programming, particle systems, and procedural animation—skills typically associated with game development but increasingly vital for business animation.
Version control and asset management systems borrowed from software development ensure animation projects maintain consistency across large-scale deployments. Git-based workflows enable multiple animators to collaborate on complex projects whilst maintaining creative coherence. Automated testing frameworks verify animation compatibility across devices and platforms, crucial for tech companies deploying content globally.
AI and Machine Learning: Transforming Animation Workflows
Artificial intelligence is revolutionising animation production in ways that particularly benefit tech sector clients. Educational Voice’s advanced animation services incorporate AI tools that automate repetitive tasks, enhance creative possibilities, and dramatically reduce production costs. Machine learning algorithms analyse existing brand assets to generate style guides automatically, ensuring animation consistency with established visual identities.
Neural networks trained on motion capture data enable realistic character animation without expensive mocap sessions. This technology proves invaluable for tech companies creating avatar-based training systems or virtual presenters for product demonstrations. The AI-generated base animations maintain natural movement patterns whilst allowing for creative modification, striking the perfect balance between efficiency and artistic control.
Natural language processing capabilities transform script development and localisation. AI systems can analyse technical documentation and automatically generate animation scripts that maintain accuracy whilst improving accessibility. For Irish tech companies expanding internationally, automated translation and lip-sync adjustment reduce localisation costs by up to 70% whilst maintaining quality across language versions.
Predictive analytics inform creative decisions by analysing engagement data from previous animations. Machine learning models identify which visual styles, pacing patterns, and narrative structures resonate with specific audience segments. This data-driven approach ensures animations achieve maximum impact whilst minimising revision cycles—crucial advantages in fast-moving tech markets.
Real-Time Rendering and Interactive Animation Technologies
The shift towards real-time rendering engines traditionally used in gaming is transforming business animation capabilities. Educational Voice leverages Unreal Engine and Unity to create interactive animations that respond to user input, enabling personalised learning experiences and dynamic product demonstrations. This technology particularly benefits software companies requiring interactive tutorials that adapt to user proficiency levels.
WebGL implementation enables browser-based interactive animations without plugins, crucial for SaaS companies prioritising frictionless user experiences. These animations can track user interactions, providing valuable analytics about engagement patterns and comprehension levels. Tech companies use this data to optimise onboarding flows and identify areas where users struggle with product features.
Real-time rendering also enables live animation streaming for virtual events and webinars. Instead of pre-recorded content, presenters can manipulate animation elements dynamically, responding to audience questions and adjusting explanations based on real-time feedback. This capability has proven invaluable for Irish tech companies conducting global product launches and training sessions.
The computational efficiency of modern real-time engines allows complex animations to run on mobile devices without performance degradation. This democratisation of access ensures enterprise training content reaches all employees regardless of device capabilities—particularly important for companies with distributed workforces across varying technological infrastructures.
Blockchain and NFT Integration in Corporate Animation
While consumer NFT markets have cooled, blockchain technology offers intriguing possibilities for enterprise animation applications. Educational Voice explores blockchain integration for animation asset verification, ensuring authenticity and preventing unauthorised modifications of critical training or compliance content. Smart contracts can automatically manage licensing and usage rights for animation assets across complex organisational structures.
Decentralised storage solutions provide redundancy and global accessibility for animation libraries, particularly valuable for multinational tech companies requiring consistent content delivery across regions. IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) integration ensures animations remain accessible even if centralised servers fail, crucial for mission-critical training materials.
Tokenisation mechanisms enable granular tracking of animation usage and engagement, providing unprecedented insights into content effectiveness. Tech companies can identify exactly which animation segments drive desired outcomes, informing future content strategies with precision previously impossible. This data granularity particularly benefits companies operating in regulated industries requiring detailed training compliance documentation.
The DevOps Approach to Animation Production
Educational Voice applies DevOps principles to animation production, creating continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines that accelerate delivery whilst maintaining quality. Automated build processes compile animation assets, run quality checks, and deploy to distribution platforms without manual intervention. This approach reduces human error whilst enabling rapid updates in response to product changes.
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) principles ensure animation production environments can be replicated instantly, enabling parallel production streams for large projects. Containerisation using Docker ensures consistent rendering regardless of underlying hardware, whilst Kubernetes orchestration manages resource allocation dynamically based on project demands.
Monitoring and logging systems track every aspect of production pipelines, from render times to asset utilisation. This telemetry data informs capacity planning and identifies optimisation opportunities. For tech clients accustomed to data-driven decision-making, this transparency provides confidence in production processes and timeline estimates.
Automated testing frameworks verify animation functionality across target platforms before deployment. Visual regression testing ensures frame consistency, whilst performance testing validates smooth playback across device specifications. This rigorous testing approach mirrors software QA processes, ensuring enterprise-grade reliability for business-critical animation content.
Measuring Animation ROI Through Advanced Analytics
Educational Voice implements sophisticated analytics frameworks that quantify animation impact with precision tech companies expect. Beyond basic view metrics, advanced analytics track micro-interactions, attention patterns, and completion funnels. Heat mapping reveals which animation elements capture attention, whilst session recording shows how users navigate interactive content.
A/B testing frameworks enable systematic optimisation of animation elements. Different versions can be served to user segments with automatic winner selection based on predefined success metrics. This scientific approach to creative optimisation ensures animations continuously improve based on real-world performance data rather than subjective preferences.
Attribution modelling connects animation engagement to business outcomes through integration with CRM and analytics platforms. Tech companies can trace how animation exposure influences conversion rates, support ticket volumes, and user retention. Multi-touch attribution reveals animation’s role throughout complex B2B sales cycles, justifying investment through clear ROI demonstration.
Predictive modelling uses historical animation performance data to forecast likely outcomes for new content. Machine learning algorithms identify patterns linking animation characteristics to engagement metrics, enabling data-informed creative decisions. This predictive capability particularly benefits tech companies planning large-scale animation investments requiring board-level approval.
Future-Proofing Animation Strategy for Tech Evolution
As technology continues evolving at breakneck pace, Educational Voice helps tech companies develop animation strategies resilient to change. Modular animation architectures enable component reuse across projects, reducing costs whilst maintaining consistency. Parametric animation systems allow for easy updates when products evolve, avoiding complete reproduction requirements.
The studio anticipates emerging technologies like spatial computing and mixed reality becoming mainstream, preparing animation assets that translate across traditional screens to immersive environments. This forward-thinking approach ensures today’s animation investments remain valuable as consumption platforms evolve.
Michelle Connolly emphasises the importance of strategic planning: “Tech companies need animation partners who understand not just current requirements but anticipate future needs. We design animation systems that grow with organisations, adapting to new technologies whilst maintaining creative excellence.”
Educational Voice (https://educationalvoice.co.uk) continues pushing animation technology boundaries from their Belfast base, helping Irish tech companies communicate complex ideas with clarity and impact. As Ireland’s tech sector continues its remarkable growth trajectory, animation emerges as essential technology for maintaining competitive advantage in global markets. The future belongs to companies that harness animation’s power to transform how they communicate, educate, and engage.
After several years of experimentation and pilot projects, AI in the telecoms industry is now beginning to show measurable improvements. Industry data from providers, such as Subex, indicates that billing queries can be reduced by up to 60% through better automation and error reduction. However, research conducted by MIT highlights a wider shift across the sector from early-stage innovation in labs to embedding AI solutions directly into operational IT systems.
These findings underscore a maturing landscape, where both vendors and communications service providers (CSPs) are focusing on practical deployment and demonstrating clear returns on investment.
Within this evolving context, Cerillion is providing a true product approach with AI built into the core of its BSS/OSS product suite, so CSPs can immediately benefit from the technology without needing any specific AI expertise or complex integration. This follows a “Bring Your Own” AI model, which supports all the major public large language models (LLMs), but can equally be used with private models.
In recognition of this progress, Cerillion has recently been positioned in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant™ for AI in CSP Customer and Business Operations. This new report reflects how AI capabilities are now becoming integral to core telecom operations, moving beyond pilot projects into large-scale deployments. With many CSPs looking to Gartner research when shaping their technology strategies, this acknowledgement underscores the growing importance of embedding AI within BSS/OSS platforms to deliver measurable business outcomes.
A key area of Cerillion’s solution involves GenAI-powered image recognition to support rapid product configuration. This approach allows CSP teams to sketch new product ideas on a whiteboard, upload a picture into Cerillion’s Enterprise Product Catalogue, and the configuration is built automatically. This is already proving to significantly shorten product development lifecycles, with time savings of up to 95%.
Additionally, the company’s AI-driven promotions engine is used to support faster and more precise marketing campaigns, enabling offers tailored to customer behaviour and preferences.
AI adoption in telecoms is now focused towards delivering outcomes that matter, including:
As technologies continue to advance, CSPs face increasing pressure to move beyond AI pilot projects and demonstrate tangible business value. Successful deployments are expected to integrate AI capabilities within core business support systems (BSS) and operations support systems (OSS), ensuring scalability, compliance, and smooth operation alongside existing infrastructure.
CSPs who effectively embed AI into their business processes, treating it as a foundational operational capability rather than a standalone feature, are likely to achieve faster and more sustainable benefits.
For CSPs aiming to modernise, the industry is at a turning point. Third-party benchmarks, such as those from Subex and academic studies from MIT, show a sector-wide transformation is underway. Cerillion’s ongoing innovation efforts, including AI-powered image recognition for product setup and AI-driven promotions, exemplify how emerging technologies can contribute to operational improvements and greater responsiveness to market needs.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is not long just a buzzword, but a pivotal force driving unprecedented business transformation and growth. The technology is fundamentally reshaping how businesses in Ireland operate, innovate, and compete. According to the Dell Innovation Catalyst Study, 76% of organisations based in Ireland are already considering AI and GenAI a key part of their business strategy, with 84% reporting substantial ROI and productivity gains from adopting these technologies. Moreover, 66% of Irish organisations are at early to mid-stage in their AI and GenAI adoption journey, while 90% see strong opportunities to leverage Agentic AI within their business operations. Ivor Buckley, Field CTO at Dell Technologies Ireland and Northern Ireland tells us more.
However, there are complexities involved with fully harnessing the power of GenAI. To build and train GenAI models, organisations need vast amounts of information. In turn, these same models also generate vast quantities of data to go back into the business. So, the question each business leader must ask before embracing AI and GenAI is: are our storage solutions up to the task?
The solution is scalable, secure, and economically sound data architecture that will set apart the organisations simply running in the AI race, and those leading it.
Storage solutions for the GenAI age
For GenAI to be successfully deployed, organisations must rethink, rearchitect and optimise their storage to effectively manage GenAI’s hefty data management requirements. By doing so, organisations will avoid a potential slowdown in processes due to inadequate or improperly designed storage.
The reality is that traditional storage systems are already struggling to keep pace with the explosion of data, and as GenAI systems advance and tackle new, more complex tasks the requirements will only increase. In other words, storage platforms must be aligned with the more complex realities of unstructured data, also known as qualitative data, and the emerging needs of GenAI.
In fact, unstructured data accounts for over 90% of the data created each year – largely due to a rise in human generated data, meaning the sphere is made up of cluttered and muddled columns of analysis. Enterprises need new ways to cost-effectively store data of this scale and complexity, while still providing easy and quick access to it and protecting it against cyber criminals. Unstructured data specifically is of interest to hackers, due to its value and sheer volume.
Organizations are seeking to enhance how they manage data—whether it’s moving, accessing, scaling, or safeguarding it. In the pursuit of rapid improvement, many have adopted solutions that store data across several public cloud platforms. While these public cloud environments can deliver immediate benefits, such as increased flexibility and availability, they often introduce longer-term complications.
Over time, organizations may face rising costs associated with moving data into and out of different clouds, heightened security risks, and challenges when attempting to optimize their data across these disparate environments. For generative AI to reach its full potential, it requires straightforward, reliable access to quality data; unfortunately, strategies that prioritize public cloud only adoption above all else frequently struggle to meet these requirements.
Organisations should instead look to adopt a multicloud by design approach. This will help them unlock the full potential of multicloud in the short and long-term, without being constrained by siloed ecosystems of proprietary tools and services. Multicloud by design brings management consistency to storing, protecting and securing data in multicloud environments.
Investing in new storage technologies
Businesses need new, novel approaches that cater to GenAI’s specific requirements and vast, diverse data sets. Some of these cutting-edge technologies include distributed storage, data compression and data indexing.
Distributed storage enhances the scalability and reliability of GenAI systems by housing data across multiple locations. For example, organisations can rapidly scale their storage needs across several nodes, should demand increase, as well as replicate their most critical data, allowing it to be vaulted in a separate location and easily retrieved in the event of a cyber-attack.
Another key concern facing many organisations is cost. However, this can be addressed in part through data compression. By removing unwanted data through data compression methods, organisations can reduce their storage needs. This is achieved by more effectively analysing data and removing unnecessary information to achieve a more summarised version. This in turn reduces the amount of storage required by the organisation and consequently, saves on costs.
Data Indexing on the other hand improves retrieval capabilities, and search capabilities, speeding up training and operational efficiency. Together, these technologies enhance performance, efficiency, and cost-savings.
To fully capitalise on GenAI’s potential, Irish organisations must prioritise a solid storage foundation and effective data management strategy. This will be a key focus at the upcoming Dell Technologies Forum 2025 in Dublin, where business leaders will explore the infrastructure needed to seamlessly integrate AI and GenAI into their operations. Attendees will gain practical insights from Dell experts and hear first-hand about the latest developments in AI, multi-cloud, and other innovative technologies.
It’s clear that there are vast opportunities ahead for organisations to enhance productivity and drive transformation in the AI era. To ensure your business is ready to lead, register today for the Dell Technologies Forum 2025 and discover how to turn GenAI and data into a true competitive advantage.
The Dell Technologies Forum 2025 is run in collaboration with Intel, Microsoft and NVIDIA. For more information and to register for this event, click here.
Sales has always been a numbers game, but the rules of the game are changing fast. Traditional outreach methods—cold calls, mass email blasts, and scripted pitches—are giving way to intelligent, data-driven strategies. At the center of this revolution is theAI BDR (Artificial Intelligence Business Development Representative), a solution designed to automate lead qualification, personalize communication, and scale outreach efforts like never before.
What Exactly Is an AI BDR?
In simple terms, an AI BDR is a digital agent that uses artificial intelligence to handle the repetitive but essential tasks of a human sales development representative. Instead of spending hours prospecting, qualifying leads, and following up manually, sales teams can let AI handle the heavy lifting.
The key difference is intelligence. Unlike old automated dialers or email systems, modern AI BDRs use natural language processing (NLP), machine learning, and conversational AI to adapt to real human interactions. They don’t just deliver a message; they respond, learn, and guide prospects toward meaningful conversations with live sales reps.
Core Benefits of AI BDRs
Scalability – An AI BDR can reach hundreds of leads at once, without fatigue or time limitations.
Consistency – Every prospect receives the same level of attention and follow-up, eliminating human inconsistency.
Personalization – By analyzing CRM data, past interactions, and buyer behavior, AI BDRs can craft messages that feel tailored, not generic.
Faster Qualification – Unqualified leads are filtered out automatically, so sales reps spend time only on prospects with real potential.
From my experience, one of the greatest advantages is simply time. Sales teams that adopt AI BDRs often find they can shorten the sales cycle and close deals faster because their pipeline is better managed from the very start.
Real-World Applications
Voice AI Agents: AI BDRs powered by voice AI can hold natural conversations with prospects, answer basic questions, and set up meetings.
Email Outreach: Instead of static drip campaigns, AI systems analyze open rates, response tone, and engagement to send dynamic follow-ups.
CRM Integration: AI BDRs can plug into Salesforce, HubSpot, or custom CRMs to enrich profiles and provide reps with updated insights before calls.
Some companies even use AI BDRs as the first line of contact for inbound leads—qualifying interest, asking screening questions, and scheduling demos automatically.
Challenges to Consider
AI BDRs are not perfect. There are still hurdles that organizations must keep in mind:
Human Touch: Prospects dealing with high-value or complex solutions still want to speak with a real person at some stage.
Bias and Accuracy: AI systems are only as good as the data they are trained on. Poor data leads to poor outcomes.
Adoption Resistance: Sales reps may initially see AI as a threat rather than an ally, making training and change management critical.
The best implementations combine the speed and scalability of AI with the creativity and empathy of human sales teams.
The Future of Sales Outreach with AI
The trend is clear: sales organizations that embrace AI BDRs will have a competitive edge. Future developments will likely include:
Emotion Recognition: AI agents detecting frustration, excitement, or hesitation in a prospect’s tone.
Deeper Personalization: Outreach customized at an individual level, powered by richer behavioral data.
24/7 Global Outreach: AI BDRs engaging with leads across time zones, ensuring no opportunity slips through.
Sales is evolving into a hybrid model where AI handles repetitive engagement while humans focus on closing and building relationships. That synergy, rather than competition, is what will define the next generation of sales success.
Final Thoughts
AI BDRs are more than a trend—they represent a fundamental shift in how sales teams operate. By combining automation, intelligence, and personalization, they transform outreach from a numbers-driven grind into a smart, scalable process that maximizes results.
And while sales teams explore AI to improve lead generation and qualification, other industries are finding creative applications too. For example, digital entertainment platforms show how AI-powered interactive experiences can redefine how people engage with content—a direction explored by projects on Yanina Games. It’s another reminder that AI isn’t just reshaping business—it’s reshaping how humans connect, learn, and play.
Equifax has announced the opening of its state-of-the-art AI Innovation Lab at its operation in Wexford, Ireland, a new facility dedicated to advancing the company’s global artificial intelligence research and development. The new Lab builds on the company’s more than 10-year history of AI innovation and expands its global team of over 1,200 data and analytics professionals.
This investment, supported by the Irish Government, through IDA Ireland, will serve as a global hub for innovation, bringing together highly skilled data and technology specialists to create next-generation AI solutions that enhance decision-making, improve customer and consumer experiences, and help global organisations reduce risk.
The AI Innovation Lab will focus on developing advanced AI models, machine learning algorithms, Research and Development, and data analytics tools to address complex challenges faced by businesses and consumers. For its initial phase, the lab will concentrate on AI-driven solutions for credit risk assessment that can augment decision-making for fintechs and financial institutions. These innovations will leverage advanced AI to provide affordability and creditworthiness insights, helping more people access mainstream financial opportunities and driving greater financial inclusion. This includes enhancing fraud detection, improving credit risk assessment, optimising marketing strategies, and strengthening cybersecurity measures.
The lab will play an important role in advancing the Equifax global EFX.AI strategy, furthering the company’s ongoing innovation and the development of data-driven solutions that can help open up new financial opportunities for consumers.
Ceann Comhairle, Verona Murphy TD, said:“The Equifax decision to establish its AI Innovation Lab in Wexford is a powerful vote of confidence in Wexford and the South East Region, this investment highlights the highly skilled workforce and culture of innovation on offer in Wexford for companies that wish to expand their offering globally.”
Paul Heywood, Chief Data & Analytics Officer for Equifax Europe, commented:“Our new AI Innovation Lab is designed to empower financial institutions with the tools needed to make smarter, faster, and more confident credit decisions, helping more consumers live their financial best. Through the AI Innovation Lab, and by harnessing our unique data and insights within the Equifax Cloud, we are committed to delivering secure, reliable, and innovative best-in-class solutions for businesses and consumers alike.
Driving AI innovation is a key EFX2027 Strategic Priority. We are incredibly excited to expand our Wexford team through this investment and have immense confidence in the calibre and expertise of the marketplace in Ireland and specifically in the South East, as evidenced by our thirty-year presence in Wexford town.”
Deirdre O’Connor, Head of Regional Development, IDA Ireland said: ‘I wish to congratulate Equifax on the opening of this AI Innovation lab. Artificial Intelligence is a key growth driver in IDA Ireland’s new strategy ‘Adapt Intelligently.’ The Equifax decision to expand its presence in Wexford is a testament to Ireland’s position as a hub for global innovation and AI. I am delighted that this will bring Equifax employment in Wexford to 100 employees and would like to wish them every success with this AI Innovation Lab.’’
The official opening on 10 September 2025 brought together senior Equifax leaders, Raghu Kulkarni, Chief AI Officer; Ritu Sharma, SVP, Global AI Governance and Model Risk Management; Elizabeth Chapman, VP Operations, Transformation and Change; and Paul Heywood, Chief Data and Analytics Officer for Equifax UK; as well as government representatives, and industry stakeholders including IDA Ireland.
Agentic AI represents the next frontier in artificial intelligence innovation where autonomous agents work together as a team. Although agentic AI is in its early stages, it has the potential to help enterprises achieve remarkable gains in productivity, efficiency, and scalability by eliminating inefficiencies and seamlessly scaling an organization’s collective skills. With AI agents, enterprises can gain a competitive advantage by delivering insights faster and making strategic decisions more effectively.
Neil Bowden, Director of Data Analytics & AI, Dell Technologies Ireland tells us more below
AI lessens the burden of using complex tools and dissolves siloes by augmenting human capabilities. Now, employees can contribute more meaningfully to specialized tasks with the assistance of AI. Teams working with AI are three times more likely to be in the top decile of performance than individuals working with AI or teams working without AI.
Defining Agentic AI
An AI agent is a software system that uses artificial intelligence to autonomously make decisions and take actions to achieve a set of objectives. AI agents have the power to reason, learn and adapt based on their perception of the work environment. As a result, they can be given a goal and carry out complex tasks to reach that goal, with minimal or potentially no human interaction.
AI agents surpass automation by adapting and learning within complex workflows. To tap into the potential of agentic AI, it’s important to understand the difference between automation and autonomy. Automation is a predefined set of actions that are performed by a piece of technology, whereas autonomy is an intent that is given to technology and the technology then determines and performs the task. Autonomy happens when the human ceases to be the “doer” of the work or ceases to define the workflow.
Take supply chain management as an example. An automated robot can be designed to pick, pack and ship goods in a productive manner that reduces errors, achieving faster order completion and customer satisfaction. An autonomous agent, or AI agent, can optimize supply chain management by predicting demand, managing inventory levels, and coordinating with suppliers to ensure timely restocking. It could identify potential disruptions and suggest solutions to maintain the smooth flow of goods.
Generative AI vs. Agentic AI – Understanding Their Unique Roles
AI agents are different from GenAI chatbots and assistants. GenAI chatbots and assistants help us unlock the power of data, so we can more effectively interact with and act on it. In contrast, AI agents interact with the data and act on our behalf based on our desired goals and without our intervention.
An AI agent is typically composed of a core (i.e., a persona, goals, and a list of available tools); a memory; tools to perceive and interact with its environment; and some form of reasoning function that is likely based on an AI model (e.g., LLM). The capabilities of these building blocks determine the AI agent’s reasoning ability and influence its degree of autonomy.
Balancing Autonomy and Oversight for Effective AI Integration
Humans are critical to agentic AI because they provide intentionality for AI agents. Despite the autonomous nature of AI agents, there is still a human involved in defining what success looks like to the AI agents. The biggest shift from GenAI chatbots and assistants to AI agents is that humans are in the loop with GenAI tools. This means humans are deeply involved in defining how work is going to be done.
With the current slate of AI agents, humans are on the loop. This means that you define the outcome and the intent, but you have delegated the AI agent to figure out how to perform the task. AI agents will become one of the most impactful tools that accelerate enterprise efficiency by taking on complex tasks while continuously improving themselves through learning and adaptation.
These questions of oversight, governance, and the evolving relationship between humans and AI are not just theoretical, they are at the heart of the conversations we’ll be having at the Dell Technologies Forum in Dublin on September 23rd. From exploring how Irish businesses can build trustworthy, autonomous AI systems to examining next-generation AI infrastructure, to understanding how GenAI and Agentic AI work in tandem. This year’s Forum will bring these concepts to life with real-world examples and the insights of Dell experts.
Practical Applications of Agentic AI
AI agents are autonomous and function-serving, which means they are capable of interfacing with other systems and taking actions in those systems. However, the first generation of AI agents are captive within a particular product, system, or vendor. As the technology advances and interoperability standards are defined, it can be leveraged across software programs and across business units from sales to finance, marketing to HR, and in the supply chain.
To prepare for agentic AI, enterprises should look at their technology infrastructure foundation and ensure it is equipped to power and scale AI agents. Identify priority use cases to plug AI agents and start thinking about how to integrate them into your workflows across enterprise software systems and other IT operations.
At this year’s Forum, speakers will provide practical advice for decision makers that can help their organisation overcome infrastructure challenges, unlock productivity, and prepare their workforce for new roles in an AI-driven environment. Sessions will dive into how IT leaders can balance innovation with security, compliance, and ethical considerations while scaling AI initiatives.
The Potential Impact of Agentic AI
Before we know it, AI agents will become the new Application Programming Interface (API) of business, enhancing the way enterprises operate regardless of industry. The real value of AI agents is not when they are in isolation, but rather when they start to work together. This could be an ensemble of agents working inside your company (e.g., different AI agents with different frameworks), or the next evolution: when your AI agents can interact with someone else’s AI agents. With interoperability standards soon to be defined, it won’t be hard to imagine your AI agents interworking with the AI agents of vendors, partners, and customers. The possibilities are endless.
I’m excited for what the future holds for agentic AI and how it will propel enterprises into the future. Dell Technologies Forum will be an important forum for these discussions, bringing together Ireland’s business community to explore agentic AI and its impact on business transformation, leadership, and competitiveness in the AI era.
Join them at the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin on September 23rd for the 2025 Dell Technologies Forum, run in collaboration with NVIDIA, Intel, and Microsoft. For more information and to register for this event, click here
Dell Technologies Ireland has today announced the launch of the Dell Technologies Forum 2025 which will take place in the Royal Dublin Society (RDS), Dublin 4 on September 23rd, 2025.
The Dell Technologies Forum 2025 will help businesses accelerate AI-powered innovation and embrace new possibilities in AI-integrated solutions to boost efficiency, propel future growth, and inspire business transformation.
Across the keynote, solutions expo, curated breakout sessions, insightful panels and more, decision makers will hear from a range of exciting experts and speakers on the innovative solutions that can empower them to transform at speed and accelerate their organisation’s growth potential. From AI-powered transformation and the next generation of AI PCs to modern data centers and multicloud, the event will provide practical and impactful insights for leaders on unlocking the power of AI in their organisation.
Former Ireland Rugby Captain and Grand Slam winner, Peter O’Mahony, will take to the stage and join Lynne Cantwell, the most capped Irish Women’s Rugby Player, and Head of Women’s Strategy at the IRFU, as well as David Humphreys, former Ireland player and Performance Director at the IRFU, to discuss achieving peak performance on and off the track. Sports broadcaster and presenter Jacqui Hurley will join speakers for an insightful session exploring how best to build a high-performance and innovative workplace culture that can foster growth and success.
Jason Ward, EMEA North Vice-President and Managing Director of Dell Technologies Ireland said: “AI’s transformative impact is redefining how we work, innovate and do business. In this AI-enabled era, it’s increasingly clear that business leaders have an important responsibility to advance their organisation’s AI journey in order to fully unlock their growth potential.
“The 2025 edition of Dell Technologies Forum in Dublin, will provide Ireland’s business community with practical and impactful insights on accelerating innovation in AI. By leveraging the expertise of our speakers and industry experts at the event, we aim to continue being a trusted technology vendor to our customers and partners across Ireland as they drive their AI transformation agenda forward.”
The Dell Technologies Forum is run in collaboration with Intel, Microsoft, and NVIDIA. For more information and to register for this event, visit: Dell Technologies Forum Ireland 2025.
