Case Studies from #DiscussAI - a National Conversation on Artificial Intelligence in Ireland

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in everyday life, decisions about its development and deployment are often made without meaningful input from the people it affects. Ireland’s national AI strategy, AI - Here for Good, places strong emphasis on citizen involvement. However, public understanding of AI and its societal impact lags behind the pace of technological advances. Many communities, particularly those traditionally underserved by science and technology engagement, remain excluded from the conversation, therefore, AI literacy is essential to enhance inclusion.

In this webinar from the Friday Frontiers Autumn Winter 2026 series, Dr. Emma Clarke and Paula Kelly introduce their #DiscussAI project. The Research Ireland ADAPT Centre launched #DiscussAI in September 2021, establishing a national conversation on AI that equips people across Ireland with the knowledge and skills to critically engage with AI-driven systems and make informed choices. Co-creating dialogue is at the heart of #DiscussAI. This session introduces that approach through two case studies, and explores why participatory, co-created dialogue matters for research and practice on the societal impact of AI.

Dr Emma Clarke is the Engaged Research Lead at the Research Ireland ADAPT Centre, based at Dublin City University where she works on ADAPT’s #DiscussAI initiative - a National Conversation on Artificial Intelligence that has engaged over 85,000 citizens in conversations about the societal impact of AI in Ireland since 2021. Emma’s work centres on citizen science, participatory dialogue and multi-stakeholder engagement. She is co-lead of Age-Friendly AI - Ireland’s National Artificial Intelligence Literacy Initiative for Older Adults. Emma has presented her research at international forums including PCST and ECSA. She holds a PhD from the School of Computer Science and Statistics at Trinity College Dublin, specialising in cross-disciplinary knowledge transfer. 

Paula Kelly is a lecturer and a member of the tPOT research group in the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering at TU Dublin. She is the team lead on the Research Ireland funded Age-Friendly AI: Ireland’s National Artificial Intelligence Literacy Initiative. Over two years this initiative is fostering a national dialogue on AI with older adults across Ireland, and co-creating and delivering a comprehensive, accessible, and inclusive national AI literacy programme tailored specifically with and for this demographic. Paula is also involved as a volunteer tutor and facilitator in a number of public engagement STEM activities hosted by tPOT and WITU.

Subtitles for this resource were provided by Teodora Leu

Learning Outcomes

After watching this webinar, learners will be able to:

• Recognise the need for tailored communications practices in scientific communication
• Identify how to address societal misconceptions and perceptions in technological changes
• Reflect on their own preconceptions of imagery of AI, and how it might be better represented in the social discourse