ADAPT Radio

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Oct 2026

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ADAPT, the world-leading SFI Research Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology, brings leading academics, researchers and industry partners together to deliver excellent science, engage the public, develop novel solutions for business across all sectors and enhance Ireland’s international reputation.

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October 12, 202624 min

AI, Climate Change, Young People, and Education

Young people face significant confusion as digital technologies expand while climate challenges accelerate. Educational systems must bridge the gap between artificial intelligence and environmental sustainability. The Green Futures programme offers secondary school students clear frameworks to evaluate digital tools, assess data energy footprints, and analyse environmental solutions with critical thinking. Dr. Stephen Davy, Manager for the Centre for Sustainable Digital Technologies at TU Dublin, and Jing Fang, project lead at UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, join host Dr. Claire O'Connell on Adapt Radio to share actionable strategies for combining AI literacy with climate education. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Launching the Green Futures programme in Irish secondary schools Connecting digital transformation with local environmental sustainability initiatives Balancing artificial intelligence infrastructure energy demands with climate solutions Demystifying complex artificial intelligence systems using practical classroom mathematics Training students to evaluate climate news stories with critical thinking GUEST DETAILS Dr. Stephen Davy is Research Centre Manager at Technological University Dublin with over 20 years of expertise in sustainable artificial intelligence and edge computing. Holding a PhD from Waterford Institute of Technology, he previously worked at Huawei Ireland before returning to TU Dublin in 2023 to lead research and mentor PhD students. Jing Fang leads regional European digital innovation initiatives at UNESCO. Together, they developed the Green Futures programme, designed interactive secondary school curricula, and established global frameworks for sustainable technology education. MORE INFORMATION You can learn more about the Sea-Scan project and other cutting-edge research at Trinity College Dublin's ADAPT Centre here: www.adaptcentre.ie/ Adapt Radio is produced by DustPod.io for the ADAPT Centre For more information about ADAPT's groundbreaking AI and data analytics research visit www.adaptcentre.ie/

September 7, 202636 min

AI And The Need For A More Civic Internet

Commercial imperatives of the modern internet consistently undermine factual accuracy and prioritize engagement over the public good. We explore the urgent need for a civic digital domain. We discuss how to establish governance frameworks that protect users rather than exploiting their personal data, using the clean water analogy to differentiate trusted information from commercial noise. We are joined by Tony Ageh, Executive Director of dotPublic and adjunct assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin, Jake Berger, Programme Director at dotPublic, and Professor Dave Lewis, Professor in Computer Science at Trinity College Dublin, to discuss why building a trustworthy digital infrastructure is a necessity. GUEST DETAILS Tony Ageh is Executive Director of dotPublic and an adjunct assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin. He brings extensive experience in public service media and digital preservation. Jake Berger serves as Programme Director at dotPublic, specialising in digital service design and institutional accountability. Professor Dave Lewis is a Professor in Computer Science at Trinity College Dublin, where he leads research on AI ethics and digital governance. Connect with the Guests: Tony: linkedin.com/in/tonyageh Jake: jake@dotpublic.org Dave: dave.lewis@adaptcentre.ie MORE INFORMATION You can learn more about the Sea-Scan project and other cutting-edge research at Trinity College Dublin's ADAPT Centre here: www.adaptcentre.ie/ Adapt Radio is produced by DustPod.io for the ADAPT Centre For more information about ADAPT's groundbreaking AI and data analytics research visit www.adaptcentre.ie/

July 7, 202652 min

AI and European Security and Resilience

Democratic stability faces an unprecedented challenge from hyper-accelerated digital disruption and algorithmic manipulation. We examine the strategic intersection of technology, law, and human rights as the Council of the European Union presidency transitions to Ireland. This discussion defines the research agenda for the new Trinity Centre for Digital Security and Societal Resilience. Our guests include Olivia Waters, Head of Impact and Growth Strategy at the Adapt Centre, along with key voices from the National Cyber Security Centre, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, and academic leadership from Yale and Trinity College Dublin. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Transitioning the European Union presidency agenda Defining societal resilience beyond technological solutions Algorithmic risks to individual democratic agency Enforcement of existing digital rights legislation Multidisciplinary approaches to national cybersecurity threats GUEST DETAILS Olivia Waters is the Head of Impact and Growth Strategy at the Adapt Centre. She leads institutional initiatives that bridge academic research with public policy. Her expertise includes strategic growth, innovation frameworks, and managing complex stakeholder relationships across the European research ecosystem. Connect with Olivia: Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/watersolivia MORE INFORMATION You can learn more about the Sea-Scan project and other cutting-edge research at Trinity College Dublin's ADAPT Centre here: www.adaptcentre.ie/ Adapt Radio is produced by DustPod.io for the ADAPT Centre For more information about ADAPT's groundbreaking AI and data analytics research visit www.adaptcentre.ie/

June 1, 202631 min

AI and Digital Sovereignty

As Ireland prepares for its 2026 Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a critical challenge looms. The technology landscape is shifting dramatically, with foundational AI models concentrating immense power and influence into the hands of a few major players. This dependence introduces massive risks, including uncontrollable costs and a profound lack of national agency over essential digital infrastructure. This is the central problem facing Europe’s digital future. The solution may lie in building AI systems that are open, trustworthy, and sovereign. This episode explores how embracing open source—a development model and licensing approach—is the key to ensuring resilience, adaptability, and the freedom to affect change. It is a pathway to controlling one’s own digital destiny. To discuss this vital issue, we are joined by Clare Dillon, a founder of Open Ireland Network and PhD researcher, and Sarah Novotny, an esteemed open source champion who has led projects such as Kubernetes and OpenTelemetry. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Sovereignty means avoiding external control AI amplifies power through data Open source provides agency and freedom Funding software maintenance is essential Collaboration builds future technology GUEST DETAILS Clare Dillon is a founder of Open Ireland Network and is currently a PhD researcher in University of Galway with the Lyro Research Centre. Her work focuses on researching open collaborative software development practices and the idea of trustworthiness through code transparency. Sarah Novotny is a leading open source champion, actively involved in significant projects including Kubernetes, OpenTelemetry, NGINX, and MySQL. She is also studying for a Master's in Applied Social Data Science in Trinity College, Dublin.

May 4, 202631 min

Cyber Security & Societal Resilience: Building Ireland's Digital Defences

In an age where critical infrastructure, democratic processes and public services all depend on digital technology, the stakes for getting cybersecurity right have never been higher. A ransomware attack can shut down a country’s health service overnight, and AI now makes it possible to fabricate passports, clone voices and impersonate anyone convincingly. The question is no longer whether something will go wrong - it is how we build the foundations to bounce back when it does. Professor Hitesh Tewari and Dr Maria Grazia Porcedda join Dr. Claire O’Connell to discuss the newly launched Trinity Centre for Digital Security and Societal Resilience at Trinity College Dublin. They explore what separates digital security from societal resilience, how zero-knowledge proofs could reshape how we prove our identity online, and why cybersecurity is too important to be left to computer scientists alone. They also share their personal journeys into the field, from blockchain research to EU law, and lay out their ambitions for turning the centre into a nationally funded, cross-Ireland research hub. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT What digital security and societal resilience actually mean, and why we need both The 2021 HSE ransomware attack as a wake-up call for Ireland How AI is enabling identity fraud, deepfakes and document forgery Zero-knowledge proofs: proving who you are without revealing your data Protecting Ireland’s undersea cables and critical digital infrastructure The newly launched Trinity Centre for Digital Security and Societal Resilience Top tips for everyday digital security — and why individual responsibility only goes so far GUEST DETAILS Prof. Hitesh Tewari leads the Applied Cryptography Research Lab at Trinity College Dublin, where his research spans Security, Applied Cryptography, Privacy, and Decentralisation. He co-authored Electronic Payment Systems, and has since focused on the broader application of Blockchain technology across areas including public health and personal privacy. A member of the Ripple UBRI professorial network, his lab most recently released zkBallot in 2025 — a privacy-preserving electronic voting platform delivering both voter anonymity and public auditability. Maria Grazia Porcedda is Assistant Professor of IT Law at Trinity College Dublin, specialising in privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, and cybercrime at the intersection of law and technology. She is the author of Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection in EU Law (Hart Publishing) and has advised the EU Directorate General for Development and Cooperation on cyber capacity building. Her policy-oriented, interdisciplinary scholarship is supported by several research awards, and she holds a PhD in Law from the European University Institute, where her thesis examined cybersecurity and privacy rights in EU law. Connect with the Guests: Prof. Hitesh Tewari Website: https://www.tcd.ie/research/profiles/?profile=htewari Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hiteshtewari/ Maria Grazia Porcedda Website: https://www.tcd.ie/research/profiles/?profile=mariagrp Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariagraziaporcedda/

April 8, 202629 min

Become A Savvy Cyber Citizen

The increasing sophistication of AI-generated content—like deepfake video and perfect scam calls—is rapidly heightening the risk of disinformation, phishing, and social engineering for everyone. This evolution means all citizens, from primary school pupils to public service leaders, must urgently build digital resilience and cyber literacy. Professor Rachel Farrell and Paul Stanley discuss the critical need for cyber hygiene, effective educational strategies like the Cyber Citizenship project, and how businesses can establish robust disaster recovery plans to withstand major attacks. They share actionable advice on protecting data and fostering a community-wide culture of security. Joining the programme are Professor Rachel Farrell, Director of the Professional Master of Education programme at UCD, and Paul Stanley, Head of Engagement at Ireland's National Cyber Security Centre THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT AI makes scams harder to detect. Cyber hygiene protects personal data. Urgency means an attack risk. Organisations need a recovery plan. Strong authentication prevents most incidents. GUEST DETAILS Professor Rachel Farrell is Director of the Professional Master of Education (PME) programme in the School of Education at University College Dublin (UCD). She is founder of the UCD Centre for Cyber Resilience Education (Cyberwise.ie) and is a Principal Investigator on the SECURE project focused on primary school cybersecurity education, supporting teacher capacity-building and student engagement. Paul Stanley is the Head of Engagement at Ireland's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). He has a background in Information Security and Identity and Access Management and leads on the implementation of the EU/NCSC Cyber COREs project Connect with the Guests: Prof. Rachel Farrell Website: cyberwise.ie Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-farrell-phd-ucd/ Paul Stanley Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-stanley-a1ab29317/ MORE INFORMATION You can learn more about the Sea-Scan project and other cutting-edge research at Trinity College Dublin's ADAPT Centre here: www.adaptcentre.ie/ Adapt Radio is produced by DustPod.io for the ADAPT Centre For more information about ADAPT's groundbreaking AI and data analytics research visit www.adaptcentre.ie/

March 2, 202635 min

Older Adults Need AI Confidence

Artificial Intelligence is deeply embedded in essential everyday services, often without public awareness, making AI literacy a critical issue of personal autonomy, social inclusion, and online safety for older adults. Without foundational knowledge, this demographic risks being shaped by AI rather than shaping its future. The Age-Friendly AI initiative is working to close this knowledge gap through national dialogue and co-created literacy training. The episode explores participants' hopes for independent living technologies and their serious concerns regarding privacy, security scams, and complicated digital interfaces. It details the three- phase approach to developing accessible training rolled out across libraries. Dr Claire O'Connell is joined by Paula Kelly, a lecturer and lead on the Age-Friendly AI initiative at TU Dublin, and Michael Core, an electrical and electronic engineer and lecturer also at TU Dublin. They share insights from thousands of engagements with older adults across Ireland. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT ● AI literacy is essential for autonomy ● AI is embedded in everyday life ● Older adults engaged in co-creation ● Hopes and concerns shape training ● Need coordinated investment for upskilling GUEST DETAILS Paula Kelly is a lecturer and member of the tPOT Research Group in the School of Electrical and 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. This initiative fosters national dialogue on AI with older adults and co-creates a comprehensive, accessible, and inclusive national AI literacy programme. Michael Core is an electrical and electronic engineer and a lecturer also at the School of Electronic and Engineering in TU Dublin. He has a particular interest in integrating embedded systems using new web technologies and has many years of senior management experience in the telecommunications industry. Connect with the Guests: ● Paula Kelly email : paulakelly@tudublin.ie ● Michael Core linkedin: linkedin.com/in/michaelcore ● Website: https://agefriendlyai.ie/

February 2, 202630 min

Trustworthy Information AI Knowledge Democracy

Trustworthy information faces crisis as overwhelming content volume pushes people toward single trusted voices yet statistical language models trained on internet data produce plausible but sometimes incorrect answers lacking true intelligence or understanding. Professor Jennifer Edmond, Director Digital Humanities Trinity College Dublin leading KT 4D project examining AI, big data and democracy through humanities lens, alongside Éamonn Kennedy, Chief Innovation Officer News Corp developing verification systems at Storyful, explain why we're paradoxically returning to village information model after era of unlimited access created processing paralysis, how critical digital literacy requires people feeling agency toward information rather than passive ballroom dancing partners pushed by technology, why Digital Democracy Lab deliberately builds friction into platforms forcing users to question profiling, training data and system metabolism, and how three actors of technology developers, policy makers and citizens must collaborate rather than pushing responsibility between poles. GUEST DETAILS Professor Jennifer Edmond is Professor in Digital Humanities and Culture at Trinity College Dublin serving as Director of Postgraduate Programme in Digital Humanities and Culture and Co-Director of Trinity Centre for Digital Humanities. As TCD Principal Investigator for KT 4D project examining intersection between AI, big data and democracy through humanities lens, she leads research distinguishing between three actors of technology developers, policy makers and citizens exploring how to educate, regulate and innovate better. Éamonn Kennedy is Chief Innovation Officer at News Corp focusing on driving innovative user centric technology by building agile cross disciplinary teams. Leading R&D team at Storyful creating systems helping journalists and analysts understand and interpret vast amount of public content and data shared as societies move online, his work centres on journalism's core principles of transparency, provenance and trusted community voices. Before joining Storyful, he was founder and product lead for number of web-based startups winning industry innovation awards including Web Summit Spark of Genius. Connect with the Guests: Jennifer Edmond LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferedmond/ Trinity Centre for Digital Humanities, Trinity College Dublin KT 4D Project Storyful News Corp ADAPT Centre: www.adaptcentre.ie MORE INFORMATION You can learn more about the Sea-Scan project and other cutting-edge research at Trinity College Dublin's ADAPT Centre here: www.adaptcentre.ie/ Adapt Radio is produced by DustPod.io for the ADAPT Centre For more information about ADAPT's groundbreaking AI and data analytics research visit www.adaptcentre.ie/

January 27, 202630 min

Trustworthy Information AI Knowledge Democracy

Trustworthy information faces crisis as overwhelming content volume pushes people toward single trusted voices yet statistical language models trained on internet data produce plausible but sometimes incorrect answers lacking true intelligence or understanding. Professor Jennifer Edmond, Director Digital Humanities Trinity College Dublin leading KT 4D project examining AI, big data and democracy through humanities lens, alongside Éamonn Kennedy, Chief Innovation Officer News Corp developing verification systems at Storyful, explain why we're paradoxically returning to village information model after era of unlimited access created processing paralysis, how critical digital literacy requires people feeling agency toward information rather than passive ballroom dancing partners pushed by technology. GUEST DETAILS Professor Jennifer Edmond is Professor in Digital Humanities and Culture at Trinity College Dublin serving as Director of Postgraduate Programme in Digital Humanities and Culture and Co-Director of Trinity Centre for Digital Humanities. As TCD Principal Investigator for KT 4D project examining intersection between AI, big data and democracy through humanities lens, she leads research distinguishing between three actors of technology developers, policy makers and citizens exploring how to educate, regulate and innovate better. Her work examines recommender systems including PhD student Arthur Azibach's research on cold start problem showing how new accounts quickly move toward political polarisation, emphasising need for critical digital literacy where people feel agency toward information rather than passive acceptance. Created Digital Democracy Lab interactive platform deliberately building friction to help users understand profiling, training data quality and AI system metabolism, facilitated at Beta Festival 2024 with handbook and tuning for different audiences particularly software developers in Dublin use case. Éamonn Kennedy is Chief Innovation Officer at News Corp focusing on driving innovative user centric technology by building agile cross disciplinary teams. Leading R&D team at Storyful creating systems helping journalists and analysts understand and interpret vast amount of public content and data shared as societies move online, his work centres on journalism's core principles of transparency, provenance and trusted community voices. Before joining Storyful, he was founder and product lead for number of web-based startups winning industry innovation awards including Web Summit Spark of Genius. As computer scientist and technologist, he emphasises optimism about technology as enabler whilst recognising need for common understanding of emerging terms like trustworthy AI, AGI and ASI. His perspective highlights journalism's increasing value as AI companies seek trusted content for training models, importance of commercial exchange recognising that value, and belief that journalism should remain person first with humans always involved in veracity, verification and community engagement whilst AI augments newsroom processes. Connect with the Guests: Jennifer Edmond LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferedmond/ Trinity Centre for Digital Humanities, Trinity College Dublin KT 4D Project Storyful News Corp ADAPT Centre: www.adaptcentre.ie MORE INFORMATION: You can learn more about the Sea-Scan project and other cutting-edge research at Trinity College Dublin's ADAPT Centre here: www.adaptcentre.ie/ Adapt Radio is produced by DustPod.io for the ADAPT Centre For more information about ADAPT's groundbreaking AI and data analytics research visit www.adaptcentre.ie/ KEYWORDS #TrustworthyInformation #CriticalDigitalLiteracy #AIandDemocracy #JournalismValues #DigitalDemocracyLab

January 5, 202627 min

AI Local Government Ethical Tools

Local government faces challenge implementing generative AI ethically whilst maintaining public trust and data security as new EU AI Act regulations require basic AI literacy training for staff. Khizer Ahmed Biyabani, researcher with ADAPT at Trinity College Dublin and 2025 Digital Transformation Rising IT Star winner, alongside Richie Shakespeare, assistant staff officer Dublin City Council, explain Ireland's first local government generative AI Lab translating academic research into practical ethical AI tools, how retrieval model analysing council meeting minutes avoids hallucinations by training only on specific datasets preventing New South Wales Australia confusion, why four pillars covering governance, education, proof of concepts and enterprise scaling create systematic approach, and how smart gully life buoy monitoring sensors demonstrate broader Smart Cities innovation culture. Khizer Ahmed Biyabani is researcher with ADAPT at Trinity College Dublin recently winning Rising IT Star in Public Sector Award at 2025 Digital Transformation and AI Awards. Co-leading Ireland's first local government generative AI Lab translating academic research into ethical practical AI tools for public services, he runs Explain IT workshops with colleague Claudia Bailey from Smart Documents under Academy Near Future programme at Connect Resource Centre providing basic AI literacy training required by EU AI Act Article Four. Richie Shakespeare is assistant staff officer in Dublin City Council working within Smart Cities tech innovation section examining new emerging technologies, innovative processes and collaboration models making city operate smarter. Co-leading local government generative AI Lab partnership with ADAPT Centre at Trinity College Dublin, he focuses on internal process improvements identifying pain points staff experience whilst maintaining ethical considerations around data sensitivity and personal information protection. Connect with the Gen AI Lab: Website: www.adaptcentre.ie ADAPT Centre at Trinity College Dublin Dublin City Council Smart Cities Division MORE INFORMATION You can learn more about the Sea-Scan project and other cutting-edge research at Trinity College Dublin's ADAPT Centre here: www.adaptcentre.ie/ Adapt Radio is produced by DustPod.io for the ADAPT Centre For more information about ADAPT's groundbreaking AI and data analytics research visit www.adaptcentre.ie/