Irish Tech News Audio Articles

Irish Tech News

Audio versions of the articles from our news feed.

  1. Jun 5

    Rethink Ireland & Deloitte launch €1.5m fund to help marginalised communities prepare for the future of work

    Rethink Ireland has launched the new €1.5 million Skills for Tomorrow Fund in collaboration with Deloitte Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. The fund will support innovative projects helping marginalised individuals and communities develop the skills they need to succeed in the future world of work. The fund will also support successful applicants to strengthen their impact through the practical and responsible use of artificial intelligence. Skills for Tomorrow will support up to nine organisations over 2.5 years, with cash grants ranging from €137,500 to €200,000. The fund comes at a time of shifting labour markets and rapid technological change, with increasing concern that individuals and communities already experiencing marginalisation risk being left further behind due to barriers to accessing education, training, digital literacy and employment opportunities. Applications are encouraged from projects and organisations focused on improving education and employment outcomes for marginalised groups including young people not in education, employment or training, long-term unemployed individuals, people with disabilities, minority ethnic communities, lone parents and those experiencing educational disadvantage. Launching the Skills for Tomorrow Fund, Deirdre Mortell, CEO of Rethink Ireland, said: "As the world of work continues to evolve, we need to ensure that people and communities already experiencing marginalisation are not further excluded from future opportunities. The Skills for Tomorrow Fund is about creating practical and inclusive pathways into employment, education and lifelong learning. "Through this fund, we want to support organisations that are already doing transformative work in communities across Ireland and help them scale their impact. We are also particularly excited to support successful applicants to explore how artificial intelligence can enhance and streamline the work they do every day." Welcoming the launch of the fund, Lorraine Griffin, Chairperson of Deloitte Ireland, said: "At Deloitte, we are proud to support this multiyear fund with Rethink Ireland. We understand that Ireland's future innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders will need new skills to meet tomorrow. Through the 'Skills for Tomorrow' fund, we are investing in innovative approaches that support education, digital skill development and training opportunities so more people have the opportunity to succeed in the modern economy. "As technology expands opportunity for those with access and skills, it can also reinforce barriers for those without. With the right support, more people can participate in and benefit from the future economy. Organisations serving communities are also facing rising demand and equipped with the right technology, they can do more and reach further." Reflecting on the impact of previous funding, Stuart Buchanan, Head of Advocacy & Impact at YMCA Dublin, an awardee organisation of Rethink Ireland & Deloitte's previous fund, said: "Funding like this can completely change what is possible for organisations working at community level. It allows us to reach people who often feel excluded from education, employment and digital opportunities and provide them with the confidence, skills and support they need to build better futures. "The long-term support from Rethink Ireland helped us grow our impact, strengthen our programmes and create meaningful opportunities for people who are too often left behind." The Skills for Tomorrow Fund is seeking applications from two strands, the first is organisations providing supports for young people; and the second is support for adults. Projects supported through the fund should demonstrate innovative and evidence-based approaches to future skills development, digital inclusion and workforce participation. Applications are now open and will close on 29 June 2026. Further information is available at https://rethinkireland.ie/current_fu...

    4 min

  2. Jun 5

    Unit4 research reveals professional services firms urgently need to reinvest time Fragmented IT requires manual workarounds and additional hours Client-facing time lost to errors and admin workload Investing in operating models, automation and a single

    Unit4, a leader in enterprise cloud applications for people-centric organisations, has launched international research commissioned from Pierre Audoin Consultants (PAC) examining the transformation challenges facing professional services firms. With 60% saying their work volumes will escalate and/or become more complex in the next 12 months, there is an urgent need to modernise business processes. However, firms face significant challenges to retrieve time lost to fixing operational inefficiencies and errors, which are leading to project delivery delays and teams having to work overtime. One group of global respondents indicates a possible way forward, as 33% say they are running their businesses on modern, integrated, cloud-based platforms, and therefore spend less time correcting errors. Compared to global averages these leaders in adopting cloud-native technologies experience less errors in finance reporting (leading firms: 29%; global average: 37%), and budgeting and forecasting (leading firms: 28%; global average: 36%). Firms in the US are the most advanced (36%) in adopting cloud-based systems, compared to Germany (22%) which has the lowest adoption. Business and Professional Services firms are the most advanced (43%) in embracing the cloud ahead of IT Services (36%). "Professional services firms are facing possibly the biggest inflection point in a lifetime as technology disruption and volatile economic conditions encourage clients to reevaluate their use of consulting expertise," said Donna Dobson, Director Professional Services, Unit4. "PAC's research shows why modernisation of core processes is giving leading firms an advantage in terms of productivity and reduction of time lost on manual processes and error correction. As competition heats up, firms understand that limiting the impact on their workforce is crucial to retaining talent and delivering projects more efficiently." 30% of respondents internationally admit to frequent or regular delays in project delivery due to operational inefficiencies, which rises to 34% among IT Services companies compared to only 25% of Business and Professional Services firms. The Nordics has the highest percentage (34%) admitting regular interruptions to project delivery, compared to 26% in Canada. The state of IT infrastructures could indicate a possible cause, as 66% admit relying on fragmented application environments and 19% even rely on multiple systems requiring manual work and spreadsheets – a figure that rises to 30% in Germany. As a result, it is no surprise that many teams complain of having to work additional hours citing a number of reasons including: 68% – monthly or quarter-close bottlenecks 59% – inconsistent data models 55% – outdated technology 47% are being forced to spend time correcting timesheets while teams must work overtime in areas like accounts reconciliation (37%), project cost & profitability management (37%), and project timeline management (36%). More than a quarter (28%) of client-facing specialists spend more than 30% of the working week completing administrative tasks rather than focusing on their core work. IT Services firms struggle most with overtime with 40% regularly needing to work beyond core hours to complete tasks such as timesheet management, budgeting & forecasting and accounts reconciliation. This is concerning, given that IT Services respondents are also the most likely to say their workloads are going to increase and/or become more complex in the next 12 months. "Many professional services firms are being pushed by clients to transform commercial models to better serve their needs, but this is only possible if firms embrace modern cloud-based systems," said Nick Mayes, senior consultant, PAC. "This will give them the agile, scalable foundations to deliver process automation and adopt AI tools, but it will require investment to optimise and integrate existing workflows so that companies have a single view of company-wide information....

    7 min

  3. Jun 5

    AI-generated online adverts promoting bogus state-backed investment schemes AI-generated online adverts scams

    There has been a recent surge in AI-generated online adverts promoting bogus state-backed investment schemes, according to FraudSMART, the fraud awareness initiative led by Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI), as consumers are warned to be on alert. The ads feature fake images or videos of high-profile politicians and businesspeople encouraging consumers to click a link to register for the scheme. This is the latest trend in an ongoing wave of investment fraud in recent years, particularly targeting people in their 50s who may be looking for investment opportunities ahead of retirement. New figures from An Garda Síochána show an increase of over 20% in reports of investment fraud in 2025 compared to 2024, with more than €20 million in losses. This upwards trend is continuing into 2026. Niamh Davenport, Head of Financial Crime with BPFI, said: "We are seeing a worrying rise in AI-generated online adverts featuring fake images and videos of well-known and trusted politicians and businesspeople. Fraudsters are exploiting recent news coverage of a planned state-backed savings and investment scheme to make their adverts appear legitimate. They often claim the scheme is open to everyone, but that places are limited and being 'snapped up' fast, in order to pressure people to act quickly. They typically promise guaranteed returns or a guaranteed monthly income. While these scams are targeted at people of all ages, recent trends show that many victims of investment scams like these are in their early 50s, often at a stage in their life where they are actively managing savings or making longer?term financial decisions for retirement." Describing how the scam works, Ms Davenport continued: "Most investment scams tend to follow a similar pattern. Consumers are encouraged to click on a registration link and asked to fill in a short form with their contact details to receive more information. They may then receive a call from a so-called 'financial advisor' urging them to make an immediate 'security deposit' to secure their place on the scheme. Once the victim is convinced and has authorised the payment, the criminal will quickly transfer the money through multiple accounts, often overseas, where it is then cashed out." Reports of investment scams to Gardaí rose by over 20% of in 2025 with over €20 million in losses Commenting on wider investment scam trends, Michael Cryan, Detective Superintendent at the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau stated: "Reports of investment fraud in Ireland rose by over 20% in 2025 compared to 2024, with over €20 million in losses. This upwards trend is continuing into 2026. Individual losses can start anywhere from €250 on a crypto scam, but for bigger investment scams involving bonds and shares, it can start anywhere from €10,000 and can increase significantly beyond this. While the amounts may seem high, victims are not necessarily wealthy individuals. They are often ordinary people who have worked hard to build up a pension or savings and are looking for an opportunity to strengthen their finances ahead of, or during, retirement. We would urge everyone, particularly those aged over 50, to be alert to these scams and, if they believe they may have fallen victim to investment fraud, to contact their bank and An Garda Síochána immediately." FraudSMART partners with Age Friendly Ireland to raise awareness at community events Catherine McGuigan, Chief Officer, Age Friendly Ireland added: "These are very serious scams that can have a life-changing impact on victims. The best defence against these fraudsters is knowledge and Age Friendly Ireland is pleased to partner with FraudSMART to raise awareness at community events across the country in the coming weeks and months and help people recognise the warning signs. It is so important to pause, take time to check, and speak to someone you trust before responding to any unexpected offer. Importantly, people should not feel embarrassed if they are caught...

    7 min

  4. Jun 5

    IRDG & KPMG 2026 Ireland Innovation Index Report Ireland Innovation Index Report

    Increased R&D Tax Credit shows clear impact as companies prioritise research and innovation amid global uncertainty – IRDG & KPMG Report. Specific Innovation Tax Credit urgently needed to bridge structural gaps in Ireland's R&D competitiveness framework The 2026 Ireland Innovation Index report from IRDG and KPMG shows that Irish businesses are strongly committed to research, development and innovation (RDI), with fresh evidence that the Government's R&D tax credit is directly driving new investment, even as companies contend with geopolitical uncertainty, international tax changes and competitive pressures. The 2026 Ireland Innovation Index is the annual nationwide survey by the Industry Research & Development Group (IRDG) and KPMG. This fourth annual report gathered detailed responses from a record 587 companies who are actively engaged in innovation across Ireland. The findings show a significant boost in R&D activity arising from the R&D Tax Credit, which was increased from 30% to 35% in last year's budget. 69% of businesses say they have increased R&D spend over the past three years, while 77% expect to increase investment over the next three years. In relation specifically to the recent 5% uplift in the tax credit, 58% of companies surveyed said they are directing this additional incentive into existing R&D projects, while 57% say it will support entirely new R&D activity. A further 39% say the enhanced incentive will support them hiring or retaining dedicated R&D staff. The findings also show the importance of the R&D tax credit in attracting and maintaining R&D activity and jobs in Ireland, with over half (54%) of MNCs saying that, without the credit, 10% or less of their R&D would take place in Ireland. For context, in terms of actual numbers of companies availing of the incentive, the latest available Revenue figures (2023) showed 1,804 claimants – the highest figure since the credit was introduced in 2004. In 2023, 225 large companies received over €764 million in R&D tax credits, while a further €213 million in R&D tax credits was claimed by 1,579 SMEs. Companies claiming the R&D tax credit are also significant contributors to the Exchequer through corporation tax. In 2023, total corporation tax liabilities for all claimant companies were €10.53 billion, with €8.81 billion of that amount attributable to companies claiming in excess of €1 million of R&D tax credits. The report also highlights the increasing strategic importance of advanced technology in Ireland's innovation economy. AI and disruptive technology is now a priority for 67% of respondents over the next one to three years, up sharply from 45% in 2024. This is the largest movement recorded in any innovation priority category over the four-year life of the Index. 'Disruptive technology' is innovation that significantly alters established industries and markets. The trends in this area reflect a profound shift in how Irish businesses are approaching innovation, with artificial intelligence moving rapidly from experimentation to operational deployment, productivity enhancement and product development. Necessity for Specific Innovation Tax Credit The R&D Tax Credit remains a critical pillar of Ireland's competitiveness offering and continues to underpin significant investment decisions. However, many forms of modern commercially valuable innovation sit outside the traditional fields of science and technology, within which activity must fall in order to qualify. This tends to exclude innovation such as digital transformation, design-led innovation, advanced process innovation and business-model innovation, the report says. As a result, 71% of companies surveyed said a specific new Innovation Tax Credit would enable more innovative work to take place in Ireland, while a corresponding 67% believe it would support new product and service development. Almost half (45%) of respondents said an innovation tax credit would directly support increased IP creation and ...

    7 min

  5. Jun 5

    After Pope Leo XIV Magnifica Humanitas, Catholic Universities Should Have Human Intelligence Research Lab Magnifica Humanitas

    By David Stephen There is a recent report on The Verge, The Pope isn't AGI-pilled, stating that, "On Monday, Pope Leo XIV unveiled an encyclical letter addressing the societal implications of artificial intelligence. The letter, titled Magnifica Humanitas, warned that the "use of AI is never a purely technical matter: when it enters processes that affect people's lives, it touches on rights, opportunities, status and freedom." Alongside him was Anthropic cofounder and interpretability team lead Christopher Olah, representing a partnership between the Catholic Church and one of the biggest players in AI." "The decision to partner with the Vatican was a strategic move by Anthropic, a company that's built its business on a carefully curated reputation of being a more trustworthy alternative than its competitors. Anthropic famously spent the last few months embroiled in a battle with the Pentagon over limits to military AI use, and a connection with another powerful institution could help bolster its status — and let it help shape future Vatican recommendations." "In the encyclical, the pope compared AI to the Tower of Babel, a structure he describes as "supported by a uniformity that eliminated diversity and that chose homogenization over communion.". The world must "avoid the 'Babel syndrome,'" he wrote: "the idolatry of profit that sacrifices the weak, a uniformity that neutralizes differences, and the pretense that a single language — even a digital one — can translate everything, including the mystery of the person, into data and performance." In his reckoning, AI became not just a new technology, but a Biblical struggle. "The risk of dehumanization," he wrote, "is an ancient and ever-new temptation that today takes on a technical guise." The weight of those statements, not the technical specifics, is likely to be its lasting impact." Human Intelligence The first thing to care about, for humanity, in the era of artificial intelligence is human intelligence. Nothing is more important, even if artificial intelligence is 100% safe. Humanity is at a stage in civilization where the needs for productivity are the needs [mostly] for intelligence. If intelligence is supplied, productive tasks can be completed. This means that as much as artificial intelligence can do, in any given task, if it is good enough, consistent enough and affordable enough, it can stand-in for human intelligence. As artificial intelligence gets better, and human intelligence stays [say] static, there could be more displacement, or at minimum more competition — with machines. Already, among humans, with rising population and possibilities with learning, competition for opportunities are ferocious. It takes much more to get less than what was possible, for the same amount of knowledge, in the past. Now, machines have joined the race. The immediate enemies may appear to be corporations, profit, capitalism or whatever, but the ultimate enemy is actually the opacity of what human intelligence is, in the brain? What exactly is human intelligence? What are the types? How does it work? How can it be improved for problem-solving? What are the clear advantages over artificial intelligence, to map possibilities for competitiveness? What are the prospects of advancement for artificial intelligence and how can human intelligence be prepared against that? These questions are important because the vacuum with human intelligence is a risk in the AI era, where it is not just useful to blame AI as a blanket, but to ask the real question, and focus on the mind. For example, there were several eras of illegal drug trends across the world, opium, quaalude and so forth. Some of those were phased out or reduced, yet, addictions persisted. Till date, there is still no major model in neuroscience on addiction, how it works, what it is and so forth, that can be displayed to drive willpower. This should not be the case with human intelligence. Even with all that was complained about...

    9 min

  6. Jun 4

    SD Worx research finds a quarter of employees in Ireland are paid unfairly at work More about Irish Tech News

    SD Worx Ireland, a leading payroll and HR solutions provider, has announced the results of new research which found that almost a quarter (22%) of employees in Ireland believe that their pay does not fairly reflect the work that they do. However, a far lower proportion (11%) of employers admit that they do not adequately compensate employees. Independent research from SD Worx, carried out by iVOX, surveyed 1,000 employees and 301 employers in Ireland as the deadline to transpose the EU Pay Transparency Directive into Irish law approaches on 7th June 2026. Under the new rules, employers will be required to adopt much stricter pay transparency, equal pay, and reporting practices. However, the Government has confirmed that Ireland will not meet this deadline to pass the Directive into national law. SD Worx's research shows that as the Directive approaches, some employers still have work to do; 24% of employees say they received a promotion without a pay increase last year. Meanwhile, employees admit that they can struggle to speak up about their entitlements. Less than half (45%) of workers feel comfortable discussing, or asking for, a pay increase. Of these, women (37%) are less likely thanmen (52%) to feel comfortable requesting a pay rise. The study found that, in many cases, employees do not know what their payment rights are and nearly a third (30%) are unaware of the EU Pay Transparency Directive or what it means for their rights. However, the majority of organisations in Ireland report that they are ready for its introduction. Some 68% say they have everything in place to comply with the new Directive, suggesting a lack of communication with their employees. As they prepare for the Directive, 69% of employers in Ireland – the highest proportion in Europe – say they are investing in greater pay transparency and 58% regularly review pay data to identify and address potential pay gaps. Nearly a quarter (23%) rank pay transparency initiatives such as pay gap analysis, clear payslips, and gaining employee insights among their top priorities for 2026. Many organisations are already making headway, with 24% of employers saying they currently offer pay transparency information such as pay ranges and salary bands to employees. Even so, one-in-10 Irish employees do not expect their organisation's pay transparency to improve in the coming years and 28% believe that there is a gender pay gap in their organisation. Eimear Byrne, Managing Director, SD Worx Ireland, said: "It's clear from our research that many employees in Ireland feel undervalued for the work that they put in, but are afraid to ask for what they are entitled to. The rollout of the EU Pay Transparency Directive should support employees in this regard by making conversations about pay increases easier, due to more transparent pay ranges. It's vital that workers feel encouraged and adequately recognised and rewarded in order to build a workforce that's motivated, productive, and engaged. "Not only this, but it will enable businesses to remain competitive in a crowded jobs market. Pay equity and transparency are playing an increasingly important role in attracting and retaining talent and, indeed, 73% of employees cited pay transparency as an important part of their decision to stay with or join an organisation. "Meanwhile, pay appears high on the agenda for employers too. Though Ireland will not meet the deadline to transpose the upcoming Directive into law, encouragingly, that hasn't stopped businesses from putting measures and processes in place to adhere to the new rules. However, it's concerning that a large proportion of employees do not know how the Directive will affect them, and communication from employers will be key to ensuring clarity and openness when it comes to payment rights." See more stories here. Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes ...

    5 min

  7. Jun 4

    BidReview.ai launches AI-powered self-service platform to help businesses improve tender submissions More about Irish Tech News

    Irish procurement support company BidReview.ai has launched a new self-service AI platform designed to help businesses assess and improve tender submissions before they are submitted to buyers. The new online tool allows users to upload draft tender responses alongside Request for Proposal (RFP) or tender documentation and receive an AI-generated assessment of the submission, including indicative scoring and practical recommendations for improvement. The launch comes amid growing use of generative AI in tender writing and increasing concern among procurement professionals about the quality, accuracy and competitiveness of AI-generated submissions. Speaking following the launch, Tony Corrigan, Founder of BidReview.ai, said: "AI has made it dramatically easier for businesses to generate tender responses, but faster does not necessarily mean better. Buyers are now seeing higher volumes of submissions, many of which sound convincing but fail to properly address scoring criteria. Our platform is designed to give businesses an independent assessment of how competitive their submission actually is before it goes into the market." The platform provides users with feedback designed to help businesses identify weaknesses, improve scoring alignment, reduce internal review cycles and strengthen overall submission quality ahead of deadlines. The new self-service offering has been developed to complement BidReview.ai's existing procurement advisory services and respond to increasing demand from SMEs. Founded by procurement specialist Tony Corrigan, BidReview.ai was developed using analysis from more than 750 winning tenders and over 3,500 public sector competitions. Ireland's public procurement market is worth more than €21 billion annually, yet one in four competitions still receives one or zero bids. See more stories here. Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

    3 min

  8. Jun 4

    Microsoft unveils AI agent platform, new models and developer platform advancements at Build 2026

    Microsoft has announced a series of updates at its Build 2026 conference, introducing a new platform for AI agents, seven new in-house AI models and a range of developer platform capabilities designed to support a new era of "ubiquitous intelligence". The company said the announcements are focused on enabling developers to build, deploy and manage intelligent systems with greater flexibility, control and security, while meeting enterprise requirements for governance and trust. Central to the updates is the new Microsoft Agent Platform, which allows developers to build agents using organisational context through Microsoft IQ, deploy them via Microsoft Foundry and access them across Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365. Microsoft said the platform is designed to reduce trade-offs between context and governance, security and speed, and between models and tools. Microsoft also announced that Microsoft IQ is now generally available across GitHub Copilot, Microsoft Foundry and Copilot Studio, providing a unified context layer across enterprise and external data. New capabilities include Work IQ, which captures how work happens across Microsoft 365, organisational systems and external sources, and Web IQ, an AI-first web search stack announced at Build that delivers real-time grounding for agents. Alongside the platform, Microsoft unveiled a new family of seven in-house AI models, including MAI-Thinking-1, its first reasoning model optimised for complex, multi-step tasks. Additional models span image generation, transcription, voice and coding, reinforcing what Microsoft described as a multi-model ecosystem. The company also introduced new tools across the stack, including Microsoft Execution Containers, now in preview, which provide secure, operating-system-enforced sandboxes for agents. The Foundry Agent Service, also in preview, for cloud-scale managed agent deployment; and the GitHub Copilot app, in preview, which brings agent-driven development workflows to a native desktop experience. Beyond software development, Microsoft highlighted applications in scientific research through its Microsoft Discovery platform, which is now generally available as an enterprise AI solution for the full scientific workflow. The company also outlined progress in quantum computing with its next-generation Majorana 2 chip, citing significant improvements in qubit reliability and a path towards a scalable quantum system later this decade. Microsoft said these advancements aim to position developers at the centre of innovation in the AI era, giving them greater agency to build intelligent systems with enterprise-grade controls and trust. See more stories here.

    3 min
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Audio versions of the articles from our news feed.

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  • Creator
    Irish Tech News
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    90
  • Rating
    Clean