Today's guest is Andrew Parnell, Met Éireann Full Professor of Data Science for Weather and Climate at University College Dublin. In the episode, Andrew discusses how his career path took an unexpected yet impactful turn. Originally aspiring to become a banker, Andrew now works at the intersection of climate change, AI and weather forecasting. This transition reflects not only a personal journey of aligning work with purpose but also highlights the larger narrative of how AI is revolutionising weather forecasting and related fields.

Topics include:

0:00 His journey from maths to climate action; now curating collaborative research

5:06 Driven by fascination with weather, urgency in climate extremes

7:36 How AI has revolutionised weather forecasting, surpassing physics-based models

9:53 AI matches physics in paths but lags in extreme forecasting

11:03 AI connects climate data with human impact, enabling actionable insights

13:29 Balancing accessible data with meaningful human health insights remains challenging

15:26 How Climate change raises health, mental and energy efficiency concerns

17:27 Using AI weather models more efficiently can reduce carbon footprint

18:32 An insight into Met Éireann funding UCD's PhD degrees in AI weather forecasting

Today's guest is Scott Lien, CEO and Co-Founder at GrandPad and David Walsh, Chairman at HaloCare. In this podcast, we explore how technology is being innovatively integrated into elderly care, offering transformative solutions to improve the quality of life for seniors. David and Scott are leading the way in this field, by applying Artificial Intelligence to tackle the challenges faced by older adults and their caregivers.

Topics include:

0:00 Scott's tech journey improving lives, inspired by his elderly mother

3:17 David's journey from farming roots to global security and elder care

8:53 Promoting independence, connection and self-esteem for seniors

13:06 Empowering elderly independence with tech and healthcare partnerships

16:57 Designing simple tech empowering wise, loyal older users

19:24 Use case of how their tech helps elderly live and die with dignity

22:54 Passionately curing loneliness by reconnecting isolated seniors

27:42 How AI enhances care, efficiency and human connection seamlessly

29:08 Enabling predictive care, efficiency and language translation

Today's guest is Kalika Bali, Senior Principal Researcher atMicrosoft Research India. In the episode, Kalika talks about her intriguing journey and impactful work, as well as peeling back the layers of how accidental moments can shape careers and how language technologies are transforming lives worldwide.

Topics include:

0:00 Her unconventional journey into the world oflinguistics

2:11 Her role as researcher at Microsoft with a focus onmultilingual, inclusive tech

6:19 Making tech accessible across languages, cultures andbiases

12:56 Promoting gender-aware AI, not gender-neutral blindspots

15:43 Using AI for idea generation, emails and feedback inher daily life

18:25 How AI speeds up research, especially literaturereviews

20:36 Why language tech preserves identity, not just ensuresaccess

23:41 Advice to focus on meaningful problems, not fleetingAI trends

Today's guest is Kevin Magee, Chief Technology Officer at All Human. In the episode, Kevin shares his wealth of experience and insights developed over a 30-year career in the tech sector. From startups to multinational corporations, Kevin's journey is filled with diverse experiences that offer valuable perspectives on innovation and the evolving landscape of AI.

Topics include:

0:00 His 30+ years of experience innovating across tech, startups, research & VC

3:20 Why human connection drives impact, velocity and tech integration

4:39 Joining All Human for impact, creativity and meaningful change

7:57 Start with customer experience, then drive internal transformation

12:19 As vision evolves, start with experience and adapt through insights

14:38 How AI accelerates innovation with 'vibe scaling 'bridging creativity and production

21:29 Blending digital and physical to transform healthcare

23:26 Exploring future AI experiences beyond basic chat interfaces

28:51 Using AI agents for daily news briefings in his daily life

Today's guest is Liam Cronin, Director of Innovation at University College Dublin and former CEO at the RDI Hub. In this episode, Liam reflects on six impactful years at RDI Hub, highlighting job creation, European funding and AI program successes. Now in his new role Nova UCD, he aims to support startups, drive AI innovation and build strategic partnerships.

Topics include:

0:00 His six-year journey building an impactful, community-driven, applied AI hub

5:07 Having an inclusive, customer-driven approach shaped by community feedback

6:59 With a huge AI demand, the challenge now is national scale

10:06 Why the biggest barrier is time, not willingness and advice to start small

12:31 How success in AI needs a people, productivity, and profit focus

15:57 The 2025 AI summer school with a focus on finance

18:07 Moving to UCD to lead innovation and startups

Today's guest is  Fergal Reid, VP of Artificial Intelligence at Intercom. Fergal is an experienced AI professional who has navigated the complexities of the ever-changing AI field. From machine learning ventures to strategic roles in prominent organisations like Intercom, Fergal provides invaluable insights into how AI is shaping the future.

Topics include:

0:00 His journey from Computer science to startups, PhD, Optimizely & Intercom

4:07 Why he was drawn to Intercom’s Dublin HQ, ML opportunity and impact

5:40 How Intercom embraced AI post-ChatGPT, rapid pivot and adoption

9:52 Automating complex support flows reliably and profitably with Fin

14:52 A high-performing AI team balancing autonomy, fast experiments & accountability

19:10 While AI progress is slowing; core tech still improves & AI reshapes work

25:41 Policymakers must prepare as AI transforms customer service

29:12 Why he wouldn’t redo his PhD now but AI changes research and careers

As part of our milestone 200th episode, the roles are reversed as AI Ireland Founder Mark Kelly takes the hotseat as he delves into the visions, accomplishments, and aspirations of AI Ireland. The host of this special episode: Artificial Intelligence. Join Mark and his virtual host as he explores the nuances of AI, from its humble beginnings to its transformative impact on industries and its potential to reshaping the future.

Topics include:

0:00 From humble beginnings to building a thriving AI community

2:11 Making AI accessible, inclusive and community-driven

3:16 Excitement for how Agentic AI is transforming healthcare

5:26 Advice to solve real problems, start small and learn from others

6:15 Showcasing everyday AI use cases to inspire action

7:39 Using AI personas, prompts and future-thinking for insights

9:29 Being surprised by guests' humility and problem-solving focus

10:32 Using AI to boost productivity, innovate and grow

Today's guest is Brian Walsh, CEO at Reitigh. In the episode, Brian explores the nuanced perspectives surrounding AI in the financial services industry. He sheds light on the challenges of growing a business, the importance of specialisation and the strategic use of AI as a tool rather than a magic bullet. This episode was produced in partnership with Enterprise Ireland.

Topics include:

0:00 Co-founding Reitigh to solve data integration challenges

1:59 Opting for Bootstrapped, profitable, trust-driven growth over rapid fundraising

4:36 Navigating silent sales cycles through networking and iteration

7:20 Investing in specialist talent to drive differentiation

8:22 Connecting financial systems to add actuarial insight and support

9:39 How Specialist support builds trust, drives referrals and enables growth

11:41 Realistic AI use amid hype, regulation, geopolitical risks

14:31 How AI enables automating document data extraction with oversight

16:17 Build deep domain expertise, invest in smart people, use AI as accelerator

19:08 Advice to use Enterprise Ireland early and find open, hungry mentors

22:15 Plans on scaling sales, rebranding and unified messaging for growth

Today’s guest is Frankie Bates, CEO and Co-Founder at Prodensus. In the podcast, Frankie delves deep into the birth of his groundbreaking company, Prodensus, highlighting the innovative strides and the challenges of operating within the freight industry.Topics include:

0:00 How a frustration with data inefficiency led to founding Prodensus

2:08 Why data accuracy is critical as freight data errors cost millions

3:03 Automating logistics data to reduce cost and gain insights

4:15 How their AI pivot was validated by winning at the  National Startup Awards

5:23 Adapting quickly and empowering a tech-passionate team

7:02 Using algorithms to categorise, clean and analyse ambiguous freight data

8:32 How the Microsoft's founders program provided unexpected value beyond cloud services

9:37 Global supply chain disruptions highlight the need for data-driven optionality

Today's guest is Marie Toft, Founder and CEO at Emotionise. In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, emotions and technology might seem like disparate concepts. However, today’s guest Marie, with her unique background and visionary approach, has seamlessly intertwined these elements to create a groundbreaking AI model. Her journey is a testament to the power of emotional intelligence in tech innovation.

Topics include:

Today's guest is Marie Toft, Founder and CEO at Emotionise. In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, emotions and technology might seem like disparate concepts. However, today’s guest Marie, with her unique background and visionary approach, has seamlessly intertwined these elements to create a groundbreaking AI model. Her journey is a testament to the power of emotional intelligence in tech innovation.Topics include:

0:00 Her journey from broadcasting to building an emotionally intelligent AI startup

3:14 How the pandemic pivot sparked a bold AI startup despite scepticism

5:14 EIMEAR, their emotionally intelligent AI with proprietary training data

7:43 Building a rare, valuable emotional intelligence dataset from scratch

8:50 How only 30% passed their emotional intelligence writing test

10:48 Leveraging Microsoft credits as an early OpenAI adopter

14:51 How education and communication are key to overcome fear of AI

16:58 How AI impacts all aspects of life, requires change management