Building Trust in Technology and AI Literacy in Focus at the Guaranteed Irish Technology & Professional Services Forum 2025

Guaranteed Irish hosted their 2025 Technology & Professional Services Forum, bringing together leading professionals and innovators in the services and technology sectors to discuss emerging trends, AI advancements and regulations within this area. The panel, hosted by Damien McCann, Director representing Technology, and Chairperson at Guaranteed Irish, discussed platforms such as Otter ai and Notebook LM whilst focusing on the need for AI literacy, AI policies and giving practical steps for implementation of AI within teams.

Recent research commissioned by KPMG shows that €100 million invested in Guaranteed Irish Technology businesses is worth €2.2 million to the wider Irish economy. This accounts for the members’ business activity, local supply chains and creating jobs in Ireland, making the sector vital to Ireland’s domestic economy.

Mark Kelly, AI Ireland, kicked off the event with an interactive and insightful session looking at how AI is being used globally. He highlighted platforms worth exploring such as Lovable, encouraging attendees to take “baby steps” by spending just a few minutes each day trying out new tools—many of which are free and user-friendly.

“Don’t get left behind—work with AI, not against it,” he advised, emphasising that AI can offer business solutions we may not think of on our own. He also stressed the importance of mastering prompts, calling it ‘the love language of AI.’ While acknowledging that AI isn’t a solution for everything, challenges remain, Kelly described it as a powerful enabling tool when approached thoughtfully.

Katey McElroy, Account Manager at TikTok Shop Ireland, spoke about the importance of transparency and trust on the TikTok Shop platform. She highlighted their dedicated affiliate platform, designed to support collaboration between creators and businesses, with a strong focus on transparency for all parties involved. For every piece of creator content linked to TikTok Shop, a “commission paid” tag is clearly displayed, allowing customers to easily see that the creator earns a commission if a tagged product is purchased.

Authentic user-generated content remains highly important, and its impact is maximised when leveraged effectively. TikTok Shop recently launched a new advertising product for TTS customers called GMV MAX, which uses AI to eliminate the guesswork from advertising campaigns. This allows businesses to focus solely on creating high-quality content that drives ROI.

Sean Tobin, Digital Development Executive at .ie joined in the discussion on the topic of security and trust. He explained that businesses applying for a .ie domain undergo a rigorous verification process, ensuring they are thoroughly assessed before approval. This builds consumer trust and helps reduce the risk of phishing and .com-related cyberattacks.

Carlo Salizzo, Partner at Matheson, emphasised the importance of becoming as familiar as possible with EU regulations, noting that regulatory literacy can simplify decision-making. He highlighted that certain trusted AI applications can assist in reading and interpreting complex regulatory content. Salizzo also stressed the need to encourage investment and development in this area within Europe, to support growth and foster the talent needed to drive AI innovation in Ireland.

Brid O’Connell, CEO at Guaranteed Irish, called for more support for the growth of Irish Tech companies with the objective of holding the IP in Ireland as the businesses “scale and stay”.

This event is part of Guaranteed Irish’s ongoing commitment to supporting and promoting Irish businesses that contribute positively to the country’s economy and communities. In a time of growing mistrust and increasing reliance on technology for everyday tasks, Guaranteed Irish, the national symbol of trust, proudly positions itself as a go-to for businesses as a place to network and do business with like-minded, trusted companies.

For more information about Guaranteed Irish and it’s initiatives, please visit www.guaranteedirish.ie.