6th October 2026
The International AI Summit will be one of the most significant gatherings of AI leaders and policymakers held in Europe this year. As a long-established European technology hub with a growing indigenous AI sector and world-class research ecosystem, Ireland has planned this event to help shape Europe's approach to AI competitiveness, innovation and trust.
The agenda for the summit brings together some of the world's foremost leaders in artificial intelligence, technology, business and public policy to lead the conversation on how Europe can capture the potential of AI to grow prosperity across the EU in a way that is consistent with European values.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin will open the Summit, and Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, will then give a keynote on Europe’s vision for AI. The morning session will end with a keynote address from Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft. Sir Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind, Sarah Friar of OpenAI, Eileen O’ Mara of Stripe and Edmond Scanlon of Kerry Group will also speak, alongside leaders from organisations including AMD, Amazon, Anthropic, Ericsson, Intel, Jentic, Meta, NVIDIA, Nuritas, Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, Siemens, and Zalando.
Throughout the day, discussions will focus on how Europe and Ireland are creating the conditions for AI success by investing in talent and skills, supporting research and innovation, accelerating enterprise adoption and providing a trusted regulatory environment that protects citizens while enabling innovation and investment.
A significant focus of the agenda will be on the potential AI offers to reinvent business models. Sessions will examine how AI is transforming sectors including manufacturing, healthcare, food production, communications, mobility, financial services and public administration. There will also be insights into the future of AI from companies who are at the forefront of AI innovation.
The agenda reflects Ireland's ambition to become Europe's leading 'Intelligence: Applied' economy, where AI is deployed at scale across enterprise, public services and society, supported by a strong talent base, thriving enterprise ecosystem and commitment to trusted AI.
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, said:
"Artificial intelligence represents one of the greatest opportunities of our generation. Ireland's ambition is clear: to be a leading applied AI economy where businesses of all sizes can use AI to improve productivity, strengthen competitiveness and create new opportunities for growth.
"Through my Department and our agencies, including Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, we are working with both indigenous companies and multinational investors to support them on their AI journey. We want Irish businesses not simply to consume AI technologies developed elsewhere, but to become creators, adopters and exporters of AI-enabled products and services.
"While AI presents real challenges and risks, refusing to engage with it will not prevent those risks from emerging. The choice is not between AI and no AI; it is between shaping the technology's impact or having that impact shaped for us."
Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth TD, went on to say,
“AI has the potential to transform how we work, how we deliver public services and how businesses innovate and grow. Realising that opportunity requires more than technology alone. It requires people with the skills and confidence to use AI, a strong innovation ecosystem, world-class research, supportive infrastructure and a regulatory framework that people can trust.
“Every session in this agenda speaks to what I hear every day: that AI is moving from experimentation to implementation, across food production, financial services, life sciences and beyond. That only works if it's built on trust and on people. My own role in this Summit reflects that by helping every Irish business use AI safely and with confidence, and making sure our workforce has the skills to benefit as this technology grows.”
The agenda includes sessions on Europe's AI competitiveness, AI-driven enterprise transformation, healthcare innovation, the development of global AI scale-ups, the future of work and skills, critical infrastructure and the next phase of AI-enabled economic growth. The Summit will conclude with a keynote address from Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, on building a trusted digital economy.
Media Accreditation (Mandatory)
Media accreditation must be obtained through the Irish EU Presidency accreditation platform, available at media.ireland2026.eu. Accreditation is mandatory. Journalists and media representatives who have not completed the accreditation process will not be granted access to the event or associated media facilities. Further guidance on using the accreditation platform is available in the dedicated accreditation guide.
ENDS
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