Episode 1 · Learn the EU AI laws before you use AI.

Thursday 12 NOV,Thursday · 7:00 to 8:30pm

Blackrock, Co. Dublin

What the AI! EP 1. EU AI Laws

Learn the EU AI laws before you use AI.

Professor Alan Smeaton

Speaker

Professor Alan Smeaton

Board member, AI Office of Ireland

Fellow of the IEEEGovernment AI Advisory Council, 2024Founding coordinator, TRECVid (with US NIST)Youngest Full Professor of Computing in Ireland when appointed

  • Entry

    Free

  • Seats

    25

  • Length

    90 min

  • Format

    Talk + hands-on

The evening

Thursday 12 November

  1. 7:00pmThe talkAlan, then your questions
  2. 7:40pmHands-onTry it on a real task
  3. 8:10pmConversationMeet the other 24
  4. 8:30pmClose

RSVP

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About the evening

7 in 10 Irish workers use AI at work regularly. 58% of them say they're not getting enough training.

Indeed Workforce Insights Report, Feb 2026

Most teams picked up AI the way they picked up WhatsApp: nobody asked, everybody started. Since 2 February 2025, there's a rule for that. Article 4 of the EU AI Act asks organisations that use AI to take steps to build their people's AI literacy. If your business uses AI, whatever its size, it applies to you.

Alan sits on the board of the AI Office of Ireland, the body that coordinates the Act here, and speaks at What the AI! in a personal capacity. Expect plain English, not legal advice.

You'll leave knowing

  • Does it cover you? What Article 4 of the EU AI Act asks of a business, and who it applies to.
  • What to do on Monday. The first steps a small team can take this month.
  • What never to paste into ChatGPT. Client details, staff data, anything confidential. Plus the settings worth switching on.
  • Where AI still gets it wrong. Its real limits, from a computing professor who has researched it for decades.

How the evening runs

7:00, Alan talks and you ask. 7:40, hands-on: bring a laptop and one real task, and we try it with AI together. 8:10, meet the room. 8:30, done.

The practical bit

Who's it for?
Owners, managers and team leads who use AI at work, or are about to. No coding, no jargon.
What does it cost?
Nothing. We confirm every seat by email.
Where exactly?
Blackrock, Co. Dublin. The exact address comes with your confirmation.
What should I bring?
A laptop or phone, and one real task from your week.
Is this legal advice?
No. It's general information. For your own obligations, talk to a qualified adviser.

Part of What the AI! Season 1: five evenings, five questions. See all episodes