Today’s guest is Ashish Kumar Jha, Professor In Business Analytics at Trinity College Dublin. Trinity College Dublin and Microsoft Ireland recently released their latest AI Economy Ireland 2026 report, showing that Ireland continues to perform strongly in AI adoption, but is falling behind in skills investment and organisational readiness. Ashish joins host Mark Kelly to discuss the key findings from the report, the increasing use of AI across different sectors, the main challenges organisations are facing, and practical strategies for effective AI integration.

According to their research, over 90% of organisations are using AI in some form, positioning Ireland at the forefront of AI adoption. This rate surpasses the EU average, which is notable given the EU’s leadership in the AI domain. However, the benefits of AI are unevenly distributed, with small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) lagging behind larger corporations. SMEs often implement AI at an individual level, improving productivity but not significantly enhancing corporate-level outcomes.

A critical barrier to AI effectiveness is data management. As Ashish highlights, many businesses struggle with fragmented and siloed data, impeding their ability to gain comprehensive insights. Large organisations often have established processes to harness AI effectively, while SMEs need to consolidate their data resources to fully leverage AI capabilities.

Ashish emphasises the necessity of conducting thorough data and AI audits. Companies must understand their data rights and regulatory obligations before deploying AI models. The EU AI Act is a growing regulatory framework that companies must navigate carefully to avoid legal pitfalls.

For organisations looking to scale AI, Ashish recommends starting with business process reengineering. Identifying and addressing inefficiencies in current business processes can create an AI-first strategy, moving beyond minor productivity improvements to transformative operational changes.

Ashish also suggests empowering employees to experiment with AI to identify areas where it can enhance operations. This approach encourages a bottom-up exploration of AI’s potential, fostering a more organic adoption process across various departments. Leaders play a critical role in communicating the usefulness of AI, addressing employee concerns and integrating AI literacy into the organisational culture.

While AI presents both challenges and opportunities, organisations must strategically integrate AI by assessing data infrastructure, reimagining business processes, and cultivating a culture of continuous learning and adaptation. The insights shared by Ashish in today’s podcast provide a roadmap for organisations to harness AI effectively.

For those interested in exploring the report further, it is publicly accessible on the Trinity College Dublin website.