Tag: #AI

Unlocking AI’s value securely: Navigating Key Security Imperatives

Across EMEA, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is redefining industries, inspiring innovation, improving operations, and driving, growth. Government and Irish businesses are embracing and capitalising on AI’s potential to enhance customer experiences and gain a competitive advantage. But as adoption accelerates, new security challenges arise, demanding vigilant attention to protect these investments Ivor Buckley, Field CTO at Dell Technologies Ireland explains more

Forecasts indicate that AI could contribute trillions to the global economy by 2030, with Ireland well-positioned to capture a significant share of this value. According to Dell Technologies’ Innovation Catalyst Study, 76% say AI and Generative AI (GenAI) is a key part of their organisation’s business strategy while 66% of organisations are already in early-to mid-stages of their AI and GenAI journey.

As AI becomes more embedded in everything from customer management to critical infrastructure, safeguarding these investments and tackling the evolving cyber threat landscape must be a priority. To that end the success of integrating AI in the region depends on addressing three critical security imperatives: managing risks associated with AI usage, proactively defend against AI-enhanced attacks, and employing AI to enhance their overall security posture.

Managing the Risks of AI Usage

Ireland as a digital hub within the EU, must navigate the complex regulatory environment like the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), NIS2 Directive, the Cyber Resilience Act and the recently launched EU AI Act. These frameworks introduce stringent cybersecurity requirements that businesses leveraging AI must meet to ensure resilience and compliance.

AI’s reliance on vast amounts of data presents unique challenges. AI models are built, trained, and fine-tuned with data sets, making protection paramount.

To meet these challenges, Irish organisations must embed cybersecurity principles such as least privilege access, robust authentication controls, and real-time monitoring into every stage of the AI lifecycle. However, technology and implementing these measures effectively isn’t enough. The Innovation Catalyst Study highlighted that a lack of skills and expertise ranks as one of the top three challenges faced by organisations looking to modernize their defenses. Bridging this skills gap is vital to delivering secure and scalable AI solutions because only with the right talent, governance, and security-first mindset can Ireland unlock the full potential of AI innovation in a resilient and responsible way.

A further step that Irish businesses can take to address AI risks, is to integrate risk considerations across ethical, safety, and cultural domains. A multidisciplinary approach can help ensure that AI is deployed responsibly. Establishing comprehensive AI governance frameworks is essential. These frameworks should include perspectives from experts across the organisation to balance security, compliance, and innovation within a single, cohesive risk management strategy.

Countering AI-Powered Threats

While AI has enormous potential, bad actors are leveraging AI to enhance the speed, scale, and sophistication of attacks. Social engineering schemes, advanced fraud tactics, and AI-generated phishing emails are becoming more difficult to detect, with some leading to significant financial losses. Deepfakes, for instance, are finding their way into targeted scams aimed at compromising organisations. A 2024 ENISA report highlighted that AI-enhanced phishing attacks have surged by 35% in the past year, underscoring the need for stronger cybersecurity measures.

To stay ahead organisations must prepare for an era where cyberattacks operate at machines’ speed. Transitioning to a defensive approach anchored in automation is key to responding swiftly and effectively, minimizing the impact of advanced attacks. The future of AI agents in the cybersecurity domain may not be far off.

This means deploying AI-powered security tools that can detect anomalies in real time, automate incident response and adapt evolving threats. Equally important is that business across Ireland need to start fostering a culture of cyber awareness across the workforce, which is supported by AI-driven training tailored to individual risk profiles to counteract evolving threats.

Leveraging AI to Strengthen Security

AI’s capabilities offer organisations powerful tools to fortify their defenses. With its ability to detect vulnerabilities, predict risk, and accelerate response times, AI is emerging as a critical asset in the fight against cyber threats. It can help Irish organisations move from reactive to proactive security postures. The Innovation Catalyst Study found 75% of business and IT leaders say AI/GenAI is a key part of their organisation’s business strategy, with many already seeing tangible results in their cybersecurity strategies.

Here’s how organisations in Ireland can leverage AI to enhance security:

  • Secure Software Development: AI can improve coding processes by detecting weaknesses early, helping teams reduce vulnerabilities in the development phase.
  • Advanced Threat Prediction: AI’s algorithms can identify patterns and anticipate potential attack paths, aiding teams in proactive risk allocation.
  • Enhanced Threat Detection: By processing vast datasets in real time, AI can discern genuine threats from noise with unprecedented accuracy.
  • Automated Incident Responses: AI tools can significantly accelerate containment and mitigation following an intrusion, reducing response timelines.
  • User Awareness Programs: AI-powered systems can deliver tailored security training to employees, fostering vigilance and reducing human errors that often lead to breaches.
  • For many businesses, the adoption of these advanced AI-driven tools will rely on partnerships with technology providers. It’s critical to ensure internal processes and data are structured and simplified to fully support the power of AI-enabled cybersecurity solutions. An automation-first approach ensures that businesses can adapt to a future where autonomous threats are the norm.

 Building a Resilient Future

Ireland’s digital future depends on our ability to innovate with confidence and as we know AI has now moved beyond emerging technology status and now plays a central role in digital transformation. That means embedding security into every AI initiative, aligning with evolving regulations and investing in skills, talent and right technology/technology partners is needed to stay ahead of threats.

Companies that approach AI security with robust protections and innovative strategies will not only mitigate risks but position themselves as industry leaders. By addressing the three imperatives of managing risks, countering threats, and leveraging AI for security, businesses here in Ireland can unlock AI’s full potential.

Secured properly, the innovation AI enables will drive sustainable growth for businesses across EMEA, setting them up to thrive in an increasingly digital and data-centric world. The future belongs to those who innovate securely, balancing progress with responsibility.

Digital surge in construction: Strong tech uptake but critical gaps in AI training and sustainability

Recent research by Strata, Ireland’s leading provider of construction time management and digital construction services, reveals that 88% of construction and engineering professionals have accelerated their use of digital technologies over the past year. In addition, nearly 70% of respondents are leveraging these tools to drive smarter decision-making and innovation across the sector.

Barriers to digital adoption

The 2025 Strata Report: Digital Transformation in Construction highlighted that siloed workflows are the leading barrier to digital adoption in the sector. Time constraints ranked second, driven by limited capacity for training and the pressure of industry-wide labour shortages. In third place, skillset gaps point to an urgent need for targeted training and the strategic hiring of new digital capabilities to support transformation.

Knowledge of AI

The research found that 81% of construction and engineering professionals report only basic or moderate knowledge of Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, more than 71% of respondents believe AI will be critical in shaping the future of the sector. Despite this strong belief, over half of companies surveyed had yet to implement formal AI training for their teams.

Sustainability in sector

When asked about the importance of sustainability in the sector, 85% of construction and engineering professionals said it will become more important over the next one to three years. This contrasted with just 5% reporting significant progress in utilising digital tools such as carbon calculations and whole-life assessments.

Commenting on the findings, Enda Grimes, Director and Founder of Strata said: “With the Government’s National Planning Framework prioritising accelerated housing delivery, and the Climate Action Plan placing new demands on infrastructure and sustainability targets, meeting construction demand will require greater efficiency and new ways of working. In this context, digitalisation and AI are no longer optional efficiency tools — they are essential levers for delivering on national ambitions.”

“Our research shows that while digital adoption is gaining momentum across the sector, a significant gap in skills and applied knowledge remains in our industry. Addressing this challenge requires collaboration with digital experts who not only bring strong digital capability, but also understand the practical complexities of engineering and construction. As Ireland’s population continues to grow, the need to improve our infrastructure becomes more urgent. By combining deep engineering expertise with digital innovation, we can accelerate delivery and build the resilient infrastructure we need.”

Over 250 construction and engineering professionals, representing over 170 individual companies in Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe took part in the Strata survey in the second quarter of 2025.

For more information visit www.stratadigital.io/ . The 2025 Strata Report: Digital Transformation in Construction report can be sourced here.

AKASO 360 Action Camera Review

The AKASO 360 Action Camera is their latest product on the market which is ideal for content creators and more in a small package that is portable and comes well equipped with goods on board.

There is also a selfie stick you can get with a tripod built in so this can be used in many scenarios at home and out and about and of course getting content for whatever it is you do personally.

In the box you get a nice pouch to store it in when not in use you also get two batteries which is great as most similar products come with one and slip in the option to get another battery and you also get a lens cloth and USB-C cable, you will need an SD card here which is not in the box which is standard with most equipment similar today most have these at home anyway and they are not expensive these days but having one in the box would have been nice.

The unit itself is robust with two camera lenses a door for your SD card and battery and has a tripod mount hole on the underside, there is a power key on the right side the camera door on the left alongside the USB-C port for charging the device it has a nice texture all round and the final important part on the device is the 2.29 inch touchscreen where you can check out all your settings and more which is also mirrored in the app itself. On our testing prior launch we used the testpilot app on iOS the app will be available on Android too.

Once you have your images and videos you can then use the desktop app or mobile app to edit and get creative with your videos, this is not my type of thing but after using this I can see the demand for such and now I will use this to get more involved with different ideas on videos my self and it is not that hard to get use to editing and creating your own style of videos on the AKASO 360 check the video below for more and what to expect..

AKASO 360 App

 

Outdoor action sports 

5.7K 360° video & 72MP photos – Capture every angle.
AI Tracking – Stay centered without touching the camera.
360° HorizonSteady – Smooth, level footage on rough terrain.
Invisible Selfie Stick – Create epic, drone-like shots hands-free.
Shoot First, Frame Later – Don’t worry about angles—edit freely after.
Dashboard Overlay – Useful for tech users into cycling, motorsports, or action data.

Creative and Travel Vlogging

Shoot First, Frame Later – Reframe the story in post with total freedom.
AI Tracking – Keep yourself in frame while staying in the moment.
Invisible Selfie Stick – Add cinematic third-person views.
DNG8 RAW Photo Mode – Rich details for pro-quality travel shots.
Mobile + PC editing – Create anywhere, anytime.
Smartclip templates – Turn clips into polished stories in minutes.

Buy From Below

Other action cam reviews

Video Review

SumUp unveils new all-in-one POS device, SumUp Terminal

Global fintech SumUp has launched SumUp Terminal, an all-in-one point of sale (POS) device that directly addresses the challenges faced by growing businesses. The device includes a card reader, POS, ordering system, and receipt printer, helping merchants manage orders, staff, inventory, and reporting in one place. This design allows staff to leave the sales counter behind, taking orders and payments directly on the shop floor or right at the table.

In May this year, SumUp surveyed Irish SMEs and found that 25.5% of Irish businesses had made no key changes to their operations beyond raising prices, despite 38% stating that the current economic climate had negatively impacted their business. This highlights a concerning trend: many Irish businesses are falling behind in adopting innovative strategies to navigate growing economic uncertainty. The SumUp Terminal is a direct response to this challenge, underscoring the company’s commitment to equipping merchants with tools tailored to today’s evolving consumer landscape.

Niall Mac an tSionnaigh, CEO of SumUp Ireland, said “At a time when many Irish businesses are feeling the pressure of rising rent, stock, and staffing costs – but are struggling to adapt – it’s clear that practical, lean and accessible tech is more important than ever. The SumUp Terminal was built to meet that need, equipping merchants of all sizes with the tools to streamline operations and stay competitive in a rapidly changing environment.”

Key features and benefits for merchants using the SumUp Terminal include its all-in-one efficiency, allowing businesses to take card payments, manage orders, speed up checkouts, and print receipts or order tickets from a single device. Designed for durability and ease of use, it features an intuitive HD touchscreen and a long-lasting battery that supports staff throughout the entire workday. The Terminal also enables smarter operations by allowing the creation of custom staff profiles with role-based permissions and providing real-time sales reports to support informed business decisions.

Irish merchants can simplify their bookkeeping by integrating popular accounting solutions such as Sage Accounting, Xero, and QuickBooks. Dual connectivity with built-in WiFi and free 4G mobile data ensures the device always connects to the strongest available network, keeping payments uninterrupted. To accelerate setup, Terminal uses its built-in camera to instantly digitise an entire product list from a single photo. This AI-driven feature means merchants can capture their handwritten or printed menu, and the device automatically creates an editable digital catalogue. This significantly reduces manual setup time, allowing merchants to then easily add descriptions, images, or new products.

“We see countless merchants hit a growth ceiling where a simple card reader is no longer enough, but a traditional POS system feels too expensive and complex,” said Tomer Sabag, Chief Hardware Officer at SumUp. “Terminal was built to be that perfect next step. It delivers the core operational power a growing business needs with the speed, ease-of-use, and affordability that are hallmarks of the SumUp ecosystem. It’s designed to help our merchants scale in an easy and seamless fashion.”

SumUp will continue to enhance Terminal with free, automatic software updates. Upcoming features include barcode scanning, table management, and the ability for multiple Terminal devices to sync and operate together in the same venue. As an integral part of the SumUp ecosystem, the Terminal will also connect and sync seamlessly with SumUp POS systems – enabling streamlined, connected operations across devices and services.

Teen-Turn Launches 2025 Incubator in Galway

Last Saturday, teenage girls from across Ireland gathered at Portershed, a modern co-working hub in Galway’s city centre, for the launch of Teen-Turn’s 2025 Innovators programme, which is backed in part by BNY. The event marked the beginning of a year-long initiative designed to help participants turn promising afterschool projects into viable tech start-ups.

Each year, several Teen-Turn teams develop ideas with real commercial potential — projects that could be brought to market or at least developed into minimum viable products (MVPs). The Innovators programme supports these teams through incubator and accelerator phases. By offering expert mentorship and hands-on support, with guidance from industry and academic professionals, participants are taken through the early stages of the start-up process — from concept to MVP, and, in some cases, company formation.

“I’m really looking forward to this year’s Incubator and the opportunity to work with such a talented and driven group of young women,” said Iseult Mangan, Regional Manager for Teen-Turn. “It’s a privilege to be part of a programme that helps transform those ideas into real-world solutions with impact — empowering these girls to become founders, build sustainable companies, and contribute meaningfully to society.”

The projects in this year’s cohort are solving problems that are both personal and surprisingly universal — the kinds of ideas that don’t always come from the tech industry, but should. Examples include, from Shannon, Caoimhe, Chloe and Biella are building Focus Future, a platform to help families manage the day-to-day challenges of dementia care. From Claremorris, Ema and Simona are developing Evolve Era, an AI-powered health journal that helps track, analyse and potentially flag skin conditions before they escalate. Michaela (Galway), Orlaith (Mayo), and Flourish (Limerick) are behind Own It, an app designed to help girls and young women navigate menstrual health alongside their sporting and academic lives. And Laila (Longford) and Sofiia (Wicklow) are working on Sweet Health, a diabetes and sugar intake management app.

At the launch, the 2025 cohort had the chance to meet alumnae from previous years of Innovators — and get a glimpse of where their own projects might be headed next. Companies from the 2024 year group, who have graduated from the Incubator to the Accelerator phase, are now introducing to the market their tested MVPs. Donna Mae (Clare) and Dana (Mayo) created Gestura, a sign language learning and translation app. And Nora and Elizabeth, both from Galway, developed UNDump, an app encouraging the reuse and recycling of clothing and household items.

From the 2023 Innovators cohort, Mary Lillibeth, Katie and Aoibheann, all from Mayo, will now embark on the final programme phase of the Teen-Turn initiative, known as Vector. Vector groups benefit from PayPal supports. Their app, HerdSync, is a farm management tool designed to digitise how Irish farms are run. What started a couple of years ago as a Technovation project after school is now being adopted by target users.

At Saturday’s launch, the girls had the chance to work with mentors Joe Smyth, SVP of R&D, AI, Digital and Journey Management at Genesys and Co-founder of Altocloud, and Alice Shaughnessy, Clinical R&D Engineer at Luminate Medical and Co-founder of Mirr. Both entrepreneurs shared their own journeys to startup exits and offered guidance throughout the day. Providing young founders with the opportunity to meet people who have actually built something — those who have taken an idea and turned it into a real product, a real company — is a key part of the Innovators programme. “It wasn’t a huge event — just a small, focused group of teen girls and mentors in a hub — but it felt like the right space to start something meaningful,” said Laila Faissal, one of this year’s participants.

For those girls entering into the incubator phase, in particular, the day marked their first step into the business world not just as learners, but as creators and early-stage founders. With mentorship, peer support, and the backing of industry professionals, they’re developing skills — and products — that could shape Ireland’s future.  The work ahead of them won’t be easy. But the message is clear: they belong in the room — and they’re just getting started.

About Teen-Turn: Teen-Turn is an Irish non-profit organisation that provides teen girls, particularly those from underserved communities, the opportunity to gain hands-on STEM experience and the support to acquire qualifications and jobs. More information on their activities and the support they provide to girls is available at www.teen-turn.com.

Logicalis sets foundation for John Paul Construction’s international future with AI services

Logicalis UK&I, a global technology service provider, today announces that it has set the foundation for John Paul Construction’s international future with AI services.

John Paul Construction (JPC) is one of Ireland’s leading contractors with over 75 years’ experience in delivering projects across a wide array of sectors. Currently the business operates in Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe with a reputation for integrity, professionalism, innovation and excellence.

As a result of its business growth and international expansion, JPC had to address language barriers and translation issues within and across its multinational teams, client base and international supply chain. As part of this, it needed to be able to share and interpret critical information and documentation to support operational efficiency, staff productivity and project coordination.

To ease the pressure on and enable seamless communication for JPC teams and external partners, Logicalis deployed an AI solution leveraging Microsoft Azure AI services and Copilot to deliver consistent and reliable translations for the business. This included the creation of a WebApp to allow employees to easily upload, manage, translate and distribute documents.

Able to process 6 million characters per minute, comprehend more than 30 languages, and handle thousands of requests simultaneously, the solution is enabling the company to automate translation and overcome language barriers.

In turn, this streamlines workflows and supports productivity across the 600-plus JPC team, allowing staff to prioritise more business-critical tasks. In terms of efficiency, these technologies prevent the need for manual translation, delivering more accurate translations and processing documents within 5 seconds on average.

As well as productivity and efficiency, they also provide enhanced security and scalability for JPC. As a result, the company ensures compliance with strict data protection requirements. Furthermore, the solutions deployed by Logicalis optimise daily costs and resources, reducing subscription fees and providing AI translation services to more users across the organisation.

Jim McDonnell, IT Manager, JPC, said: “The Logicalis team showcased how to seamlessly introduce AI into real-world applications, transforming complex integrations into straightforward and user-friendly processes. From the start, we were impressed with how the Logicalis team devised a very succinct plan, executed it flawlessly, and collaborated effectively with our team throughout the journey, resulting in a fantastic product and successful implementation. We look forward to engaging on future projects – underpinned by our shared principles of excellence, respect, and teamwork.”

Mairead Malone, Country Leader for Ireland, Logicalis UK& I, added: “John Paul Construction prides itself on going the extra mile and delivering projects of the highest quality. At Logicalis, we share that vision. For JPC, we are delivering technologies to eliminate language barriers, enable seamless communication and enhance collaboration among international teams. We also tailored these to support its overall business objectives, including the continued growth of the organisation. By simplifying the complex, we are helping to drive change and success in the construction sector.”

Spellings for Me Unveils Enhanced Global Learning Platform

Spellings for Me, a personalised spelling programme has successfully rolled out Version 2 of its platform, marking a significant milestone in its mission to transform spelling education worldwide. The upgraded platform, developed in collaboration with TEKenable is using Artificial Intelligence to improve success through a personalised learning experience automatically tailored to each pupil’s needs.

Originally designed for primary schools in Ireland, Spellings for Me quickly gained international traction as teachers relocated and continued using the tool abroad.​ However, the platform’s initial design revealed limitations, including Irish-accented audio files, lack of advanced reporting tools, and scalability issues.​ To address these challenges, TEKenable has evolved the platform into a robust, future-proof solution.​Version 2 offers 10 proofed accents allowing each school chose the voice that best suits their learners.  All AI generated and more can be added with ease.

Over 90,000 pupils per year are enjoying Spellings for Me, with steady annual growth.   “The international growth potential of this platform has been greatly enhanced by TEKenable’s use of AI to enable regionalisation resulting in sign-ups from International schools in 25 countries since the launch of the revamped platform,” states Paddy.

The rollout of Version 2 has been met with resounding success, with schools across multiple countries adopting the platform,” says Paddy. “Many of the Version 2 adopters teach English as an Additional Language, and Spellings for Me is now live in international schools across Spain, Finland, Greece, China (Wuhan), Hong Kong, France, Germany, Portugal, Japan, India, Jordan, UAE, Sweden, Egypt, Ghana, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Chile, Uruguay, Turkmenistan, and more. Wherever pupils are learning English, Spellings for Me,  with its multi-accent support and research-backed content, continues to meet learners’ diverse needs in classrooms around the world”.

A new homeschool version has also been introduced, allowing parents to purchase the programme directly.​

“Spellings for Me supports students worldwide, including EAL learners and international schools, with a tailored spelling programme designed for diverse learning needs,” adds Paddy.  “It allows teachers and parents to monitor their growth over time, building confidence and motivation.”

Spellings for Me is currently collaborating with TEKenable’s AI division on a built-in AI reporting engine.  Soon, teachers and parents will see an “AI-Insight” button beside each student with the inclusion of AI to recognise patterns that may suggest the pupil has learning differences e.g. early flags for potential learning differences (e.g. dyslexia risk) not a formal diagnosis, but a prompt for further assessment.  This will help ensure no child ever slips through the net for dyslexia.

“When we set the Spellings for Me challenge, TEKenable always exceeded our expectations.  No problem is too big.  They have never let us down, they’re just so competent.” concludes Paddy.

The project’s impact was further recognised when Spellings for Me was selected as the Tipperary representative for the National Enterprise Awards 2025.

Goggle Gemini expands Veo 3 capabilities in Ireland

Google has just announced a significant expansion of Veo 3 capabilities within the Gemini App, empowering Google AI Pro subscribers in Ireland. I have taken it for a spin today so to speak and impressed at what it can do now so one can only imagine what possibilities are coming down the road.

Google is making it easier than ever for users to generate and share dynamic video content directly from the Gemini App. Veo 3, the advanced video generation model, allows Google AI Pro subscribers to generate videos from text.

Simply click the “tools” option in the Gemini prompt bar, select “video,” and describe your scene. Gemini will instantly create an eight-second video clip at 720p resolution, delivered as an MP4 file in a 16:9 landscape format, complete with audio.

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Watch the clips on a quick test