AI Ireland Podcast: AI Leadership and EU AI Act Interviews
Direct conversations with the people shaping AI policy and practice. Mark Kelly hosts the independent AI Ireland Podcast, interviewing policymakers, regulatory leaders and AI practitioners about artificial intelligence and its implications for business, government and society.
These episodes give boards and executive teams access to primary perspectives on the EU AI Act: how the original proposal was developed, how the legislation was negotiated in the European Parliament, and how organisations can approach implementation responsibly. The conversations are educational and do not constitute legal advice.
Featured EU AI Act Interviews
Gabriele Mazzini: Behind the EU AI Act
Gabriele Mazzini served as the European Commission AI Act team leader involved in drafting the original proposal. In this interview, Mark explores the thinking behind Europe’s landmark AI legislation, the policy choices it reflects and its implications for organisations developing or using AI.
Watch the full Gabriele Mazzini interview on YouTube
Read the Gabriele Mazzini episode notes on AI Ireland
Key discussion points
- How the EU AI Act’s risk-based approach classifies AI systems as prohibited, high-risk or subject to transparency requirements.
- Why high-risk systems face strict obligations, including conformity assessments and human oversight, and why non-compliance can carry significant penalties.
- What leadership teams should consider: identifying which AI systems in the organisation may qualify as high-risk and preparing oversight and transparency processes accordingly.
Dragoș Tudorache: Negotiating the EU AI Act
Dragoș Tudorache is a former Member of the European Parliament and was a European Parliament co-rapporteur on the AI Act. He joins Mark to discuss the legislation’s development, its governance objectives and the balance between innovation, accountability and fundamental rights.
Watch the full Dragoș Tudorache interview on YouTube
Watch a short highlight from the Dragoș Tudorache interview
Key discussion points
- How the EU AI Act was negotiated and finalised in the European Parliament, reflecting Dragoș Tudorache’s role as co-rapporteur.
- Why the Act’s governance objectives matter: balancing innovation, accountability and the protection of fundamental rights.
- What leadership teams should consider: how these governance priorities translate into practical expectations for responsible AI adoption.
Brian McElligott: Practical AI Act Insights
Brian McElligott, Partner and Head of Artificial Intelligence at Mason Hayes & Curran, discusses practical questions arising from the EU AI Act. The episode explores governance, implementation and the issues organisations should raise with qualified legal and compliance advisers.
Listen and read the Brian McElligott episode notes on AI Ireland
Watch the full Brian McElligott interview on YouTube
Key discussion points
- How the EU AI Act categorises AI systems into four risk tiers – banned, high-risk, limited-risk and low-risk – and targets AI systems rather than general-purpose AI models.
- Why organisations need to act now: mandatory AI-literacy training and phased compliance deadlines apply even while detailed guidance is still developing.
- What leadership teams should consider: raising governance, risk-classification and training questions with their legal and compliance advisers ahead of each compliance milestone.
Why These Conversations Matter for Business Leaders
The EU AI Act changes how organisations think about AI procurement, deployment, accountability and risk. Leadership teams need more than a summary of the rules: they need to understand the questions to ask, the responsibilities to assign and how regulatory expectations connect with real AI adoption.
Mark brings these primary-source conversations into his work with boards and executive audiences. His keynotes and workshops translate complex policy and technology developments into clear business implications, practical governance questions and actions leaders can take with their legal, compliance and operational teams. Learn more about Mark Kelly, Founder of AI Ireland and host of the AI Ireland Podcast.
- Understand the business implications of Europe’s AI regulatory direction.
- Ask better questions about accountability, governance and implementation.
- Connect regulatory developments with practical AI adoption.
- Separate evidence-based priorities from hype and unnecessary complexity.
Watch More AI Ireland Podcast Episodes
Explore interviews with AI leaders, policymakers, researchers and practitioners on the official AI Ireland YouTube channel or browse the AI Ireland Podcast playlist.
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The AI Ireland Podcast is an independent podcast. It is not an official European Union channel, and its content is educational rather than legal advice.
