Image: Julia Palma, EU Programme Manager, CeADAR
CeADAR was delighted to host its first Business Beacon of 2026 at the IDA Head Quarters yesterday, From Regulation to Responsibility: Understanding the EU AI Act and the Principles of Responsible AI.
CeADAR CEO, Dr John Lonsdale, opened the event highlighting the relevance and interest in the topic and thanking the IDA for the fantastic venue and welcoming all in attendance, including our CeADAR Members and speakers.
Our guest speaker, Dr Barry Scannell, Partner at William Fry Solicitors gave an insightful overview of the current state of play of the EU AI Act, looking at how the current landscape is evolving for companies in Ireland across four risk categories and highlighting both provider and deployer obligations. Barry looked at where we are in the time line for the EU AI Act obligations and the various gaps, uncertainties and challenges for companies when looking to meet the current EU AI Act deadline in August this year.
CeADAR’s EU Programme Manager, Julia Palma followed with a deep dive into Beyond Compliance: Why Responsible AI Means Competitive AI. Bringing the topic to life through a vivid analogy with the Automotive industry, Julia explained how a focus on regulation to develop safety over the decades, led to increased consumer trust, and a subsequent increase in the competitiveness of car brands that made this a core pillar of their product. Julia demonstrated how regulation ultimately helped rather than hindered innovation in the development of the automobile industry.
At CeADAR, through our support to companies and public administration and our role as project lead for MANOLO, a Horizon Europe project for trustworthy and lighter, high-quality AI models, Julia showed how it’s possible to follow the same narrative for AI as we’ve seen in the automobile industry. By embedding trustworthy AI across the innovation cycle, companies and organisations will strengthen consumer trust and lead to greater opportunities for innovation and competitiveness. To know more, check the blog post on the topic here.
Contact us for more information on how CeADAR can support your organisation or business remain competitive in the era of AI.
Dr John Lonsdale, CeADAR
Dr Barry Scannell, William Fry
Julia Palma, CeADAR
