Artificial Intelligence, otherwise known as AI, is changing the world in a way that is hard to stop; it can help you change your life, whether this is your professional or personal life, and on devices from phones to washing machines.
Every major technology company has either an AI agent or has intertwined with one, X has Xai, Microsoft has Copilot, OpenAI has ChatGPT, Anthropic has Claude, Google has Gemini and Apple uses a range of AI agents for its new updated SiriAI.
But what is AI, and how is Generative AI different? According to IBM, Artificial intelligence (AI) is technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem-solving, decision-making, creativity and autonomy.
Applications and devices equipped with AI can see and identify objects. They can understand and respond to human language. They can learn from new information and experience. AI can make detailed recommendations to users and experts. They can act independently, replacing the need for human intelligence or intervention (a classic example being a self-driving car).
But most AI researchers, practitioners and most AI-related headlines are focused on breakthroughs in Generative AI (gen AI), Another way to describe AI, per Britannica, is the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings, such as reasoning, learning, and problem-solving.
Gen AI can create original text, images, video and other content. To fully understand generative AI, it’s important to first understand the technologies on which generative AI tools are built: machine learning (ML) and deep learning.
AI is mostly driven by large language models (LLMs), which are trained on immense amounts of data, making them capable of understanding and generating natural language and other types of content to perform a wide range of tasks.
AI is in everything and is sometimes used as a buzzword to describe programming in device, these could be seen in LG AI televisions, Samsung’s focus on AI in their smartphones, and LG’s AI Kpop girl group to sell their washing machines-yes, you heard me right, WASHING MACHINES.
Generative AI is on every laptop, phone, pc and tablet and is even embedded in word processors such as Office 365 and Google Docs. Even if AI has safe guards, Children can easily gain access to AI Agents.
CyberSafeKids’ 10th annual report, Ireland’s online safety charity, highlights the skyrocketing use of Generative AI among young people: 55% of 8-12 year-olds and 76% of 12-15 year-olds use the technology, yet regulation has not kept pace.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education and Youth, Darren O’Rourke TD stated “I firmly believe the Government must act to embed digital literacy as a core part of the school curriculum. We need to equip our children with the critical thinking skills to navigate the online world safely and to spot misinformation and harmful content.”
Deputy O’Rourke continued: “Digital literacy cannot be an optional extra. It must be at the heart of how we prepare young people for the world they are growing up in. This is a life skill as fundamental as reading and writing.”
Lastly, Deputy O’Rourke said: “I welcome the existing work underway, including the Digital Media Literacy short course and the Webwise programmes, but this report shows we need to go further and faster. We cannot afford to wait another ten years for meaningful progress.”
AI is used by a variety of workers in every sector, from finance to healthcare, and from journalism to film production. AI is used in all types of work, but Generative AI has changed the way many workers do their job.
The Microsoft Ireland annual 2026 Work Trend Index found that almost half (47%) say AI is making them reconsider their career path, up from 34% in 2025, With 76% believing that AI is a major economic opportunity for Ireland.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) say AI skills are now essential to compete in the jobs market, up from 50% in 2025; AI use at work has risen to 63%. In comparison, 57% of workers can identify where AI agents could help in their role, and 48% already use AI agents regularly or occasionally.
Only 40% say they have received enough AI training or guidance, less than half (44%) say their employer provides the tools and resources they need, and fewer than half (48%) say leadership expectations around AI use are clear.
Lastly, the findings suggest Ireland’s AI opportunity is not constrained by employee appetite, but by how quickly organisations can translate that enthusiasm into practical capability, trusted adoption and business value.
AI Data Centres can use a whole range of national and international resources, such as gas & oil for heating in extreme cold and solar, fossil fuels, solar & wind power for electricity to power the servers in data centres and Water is used to cool the servers.
Several University College Dublin experts have warn that future AI-driven demand must be balanced with investment in renewable energy, grid infrastructure and smarter regulation.
Appearing at the Oireachtas, researchers from the UCD Energy Institute, UCD School of Economics, UCD School of Computer Science and UCD School of Information and Communication Studies outlined how the accelerating growth of AI-driven data centres is creating significant challenges for Ireland’s energy system and climate ambitions.
Professor Lisa Ryan, UCD School of Economics “Renewable generation has not been delivered at a pace sufficient to match this demand growth, while the expansion of data centres can reasonably be viewed as a success in terms of foreign direct investment and industrial development, it has not been accompanied by a commensurate increase in renewable supply.”
Professor Ryan highlighted that while data centres have delivered substantial economic benefits, they now account for around 22% of Ireland’s national electricity demand – one of the highest proportions in the developed world and are forecast to rise further by 2034.
“Over the past decade, data centres have accounted for 88% of Ireland’s electricity demand increase… [and] demand from data centres is large, concentrated and relatively constant. It does not match well with the Irish electricity mix of wind and gas, which is more suited to flexible demand.”
Professor Andrew Keane, Director of the UCD Energy Institute, said Ireland’s electricity grid is reaching a critical point, with limited transmission capacity creating competition between data centres and other essential infrastructure. “ N e t w o r k capacity is a limited resource and takes time to increase, If large energy users use the bulk of any available capacity, it poses a risk that key public infrastructure, including housing and transport projects, could be delayed.”
Arguing that future data centre development should only proceed where they align with Ireland’s decarbonisation goals, Professor Keane said that to continue to develop data centres was “a deliberate policy choice”.
AI is changing our lives, whether good or bad though, will be seen soon, but how soon is the question.
