3 Truths from Trinity’s AI Report

90% of Irish companies now use AI in some form. That puts

Ireland ahead of the EU average. Yet most of those companies are not getting real business value from it.

That gap is the story of 2026.

It is also the headline finding of the new AI Economy Report from Trinity College Dublin Business

School and Microsoft. As an AI Keynote Speaker for 2026, I sat down with Professor Ashish from Trinity College on the AI Ireland Podcast to unpack what the data really means for boards, executives and leadership teams.

This post is for any business leader trying to turn AI hype into real results. It pulls out the 3 truths every leader needs to act on this year, and gives you the questions to ask in your next board meeting.

 

What the Trinity College and Microsoft AI Economy Report Says

The report is one of the largest pieces of research on AI adoption in Ireland to date. Two findings stand out.

The good news: Over 90% of Irish organisations are using AI in some form. Ireland is at the forefront of AI adoption globally and sits above the EU average.

The bad news: The benefits are landing very unevenly. Large organisations are saving thousands of work hou

rs every month. Many small and medium businesses are not.

Most AI usage in SMEs is at individual level. Summarising reports. Drafting emails. Creating quick notes from long documents. All useful. None of it transformational.

The companies pulling ahead are doing something different. They are redesigning processes around AI, not bolting AI onto old workflows.

That gap is what every leader I work with as an AI keynote speaker is now grappling with.

3 Truths Boards Are Missing in 2026

Truth 1: 90% AI adoption is not the same as 90% AI value

Adoption is easy. Anyone can buy a Copilot licence.

Value is harder. It requires you to redesign work.

The Trinity College report shows the divergence clearly. Large organisations have invested in business model change. They have changed the way work flows through their company. Smaller organisations are still using AI for personal time savings.

If your AI strategy is “everyone gets a chatbot,” you will not move the needle on your P&L. You will simply make individuals slightly more efficient at the same broken process.

The board question to ask: where in our business has AI changed the shape of the work, not just the speed of the work?

Truth 2: Only 44% of Irish firms have a formal AI policy

This is the number that should worry every board member reading this.

Without a policy, most companies do not know where AI is already running inside their walls. AI is now baked into off-the-shelf tools. CRM systems. Recruitment platforms. Finance software. Tools your team bought last year may already use AI in ways you have not approved.

Some of those tools may sit on the wrong side of the EU AI Act, which is rolling out in stages through 2026.

The fix is straightforward, but it takes work.

1. Run a data audit. Where is your data? Who owns it? What rights do you have to use it for AI?
2. Run an AI audit. Map every tool your business uses. Flag anything that touches customer data or employee decisions.
3. Name an owner. Every AI decision needs a human accountable for it. No owner, no governance, no scale.

Truth 3: Re-engineer the process before you roll out AI

This is the single biggest lesson from the research.

Do not start by asking “how do I add AI to this process?” Start by asking “how would this process work if AI was at the centre of it?”

That is a different question. It leads to different answers.

In our podcast conversation, Professor Ashish gave a clear example. His team is helping Dublin City Council identify where generative AI can be used. The first step was not buying tools. It was a half-day workshop with the heads of every department to identify the right problems to solve.

Most AI projects fail for three reasons:

• Dirty data
• No access to the data that matters
• Solving the wrong problem

Process re-engineering exposes all three before you spend a euro on tools.

You also have a choice on how to scale. A focused pilot proves value in one area first. A “thousand flowers bloom” approach empowers everyone to experiment, then debriefs to find the patterns. Both work. The wrong move is to do nothing while waiting for clarity.

Why This Matters for Your 2026 AI Strategy

Boards across Ireland and Europe are now asking sharper questions.

• Where are we using AI today, and is any of it material?
• Where could we be using it that we are not?
• What is our exposure under the EU AI Act?
• Who owns AI strategy, governance and risk in our business?
• How do we measure return?

If your leadership team cannot answer these questions, you are exposed. The companies that win the next 18 months will be the ones who built the foundations now. Not the ones that chased the loudest tool.

This is what every AI keynote in 2026 needs to address. Hype is over. Foundations are in.

What to Look for in an AI Keynote Speaker for 2026

The market is full of AI speakers. Most of them sell the same hype.

When booking an AI keynote speaker for 2026, look for these five things.

1. Vendor neutral. They should not be selling you a product on stage.
2. Real client work. Theory is cheap. Ask for examples from board rooms and shop floors, not just slide decks.
3. A connection to research. Speakers who reference the latest peer-reviewed studies give your audience more than recycled news headlines.
4. A framework people can use. A good keynote leaves your team with something they can apply on Monday morning.
5. Plain English. If the speaker hides behind jargon, your audience will switch off.

Ask any AI conference speaker for proof of all five before signing the contract.

How Mark Kelly Helps Boards Move From Hype to Habit

I have been working in applied AI in Ireland since 2018. As Founder of AI Ireland and Co-Founder of Alldus, I have helped hundreds of leadership teams move from AI hype to AI habit.

A few proof points if you are considering booking me.

• More than 10,000 professionals trained across Ireland and Europe
• 796+ Google reviews for AI Ireland
• Clients include Microsoft, Oracle, Meta, Three Ireland, Apleona and Enterprise Ireland
• Host of the AI Ireland Podcast, where I interview the people behind the research
• Author of the AI Unleashed book series
• Creator of the 5 P’s AI Readiness Framework, used by boards to score their AI maturity from Level 0 to Level 4
• Founder of the AI Ireland Awards, recognising applied AI work across the country
• Regular contributor on RTÉ
• Board advisor on AI strategy and governance

Every keynote and workshop is built around your audience. No off-the-shelf decks. No hype. Just plain English, real examples and a framework your team will use long after the event.

Frequently Asked Questions About Booking an AI Keynote Speaker

What topics will AI keynote speakers cover in 2026?

The strongest 2026 keynotes cover practical AI adoption, the EU AI Act, AI governance, agentic workflows, business process re-engineering and AI literacy for boards. Expect less hype on tools and more focus on operating model change.

How far in advance should I book an AI keynote speaker?