AI Awards 2026

⌖ Dublin · Aviva Stadium

Hosted by Learnovate

Learnovation 2026 brings 600 attendees and 40 expert speakers to Aviva Stadium, Dublin, for a full-day summit on the human skills needed in an AI world. Taking place on Thursday 8 October 2026, from 9:00am to 4:30pm, Ireland’s premier global learning summit will bring together leaders from education, industry, research and innovation. The focus is not simply on what artificial intelligence can do, but on how people and organisations can strengthen the distinctly human capabilities that will shape the future of work and learning. What to expect Across seven and a half hours of in-person programming, attendees can expect a combination of inspiring keynotes, practical insights, fresh thinking and professional networking. The programme will explore six core human skills: - Creativity, generating ideas and approaching challenges in new ways - Critical thinking, evaluating information and making considered decisions - Communication, sharing knowledge and ideas effectively - Adaptability, responding to rapidly changing technology and working practices - Collaboration, bringing people and perspectives together - Leadership, helping teams and organisations navigate transformation The summit will challenge organisations, educators and innovators to rethink how learning happens, how talent is developed and how people can prepare for a workplace being reshaped by AI. With 40 expert speakers, the day is designed to combine big-picture perspectives with useful insights attendees can take back to their teams, institutions and projects. Who should attend? Learnovation 2026 is aimed at professionals and decision-makers working across education, learning, talent development, industry, research and innovation. It will be particularly relevant to organisational leaders, educators and innovators considering how AI affects skills, workforce preparation and long-term learning strategies. The broad, cross-sector format also creates opportunities to compare approaches and connect with people tackling similar challenges in different settings.… Register for this event

⌖ Dublin · MongoDB Limited

Hosted by Dublin MongoDB User Group

Build a memory-augmented AI agent with MongoDB at this hands-on workshop and retrieval challenge in Dublin on 8 October 2026. Hosted by the Dublin MongoDB User Group at MongoDB Limited, this practical evening explores how to stop AI agents from forgetting everything when a conversation ends. You’ll learn how short- and long-term memory help agents preserve context, retain useful information and support tasks that run over time. Build an agent that remembers The central workshop guides you through creating a memory-augmented coding agent with MongoDB. Using Jupyter Notebooks and a pre-configured development environment, you’ll work from templates and replace pseudocode with your own Python. Topics include: - Core memory types for agentic systems - Creating, reading, updating and deleting memories - Storage patterns that support reliable retrieval - Combining vector search with metadata, recency and other signals - Deciding when an agent should create, update or prune memories You’ll then move into a practical chunking, retrieval and reranking challenge. Working through a GUI, you can test different chunking strategies, retrieval methods and reranking configurations to improve search and answer quality. Submit your pipeline for a score, compare results on the leaderboard and compete for prizes while learning how small design choices affect retrieval performance. Format and who it’s for The three-hour programme combines networking, pizza and introductions with guided building, a friendly skills challenge, open discussion and further networking. Attendees can also earn a Memory for AI Applications Skill Badge to share with their network. You don’t need to be an AI or MongoDB expert, but you should feel comfortable reading and writing code. Bring a laptop, an account for the workshop environment and access via Instruqt. The AI Labs setup guide covers the available environment options, while the optional Jupyter Notebook guide can help you prepare.… Register for this event

⌖ Dublin

Hosted by The Augmented Software Engineer

Explore how automated software factories are built, configured and run at this Dublin AI-Week meetup for AI-minded software engineering practitioners. Taking place in Dublin on Thursday 8 October 2026, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm IST, this evening session from The Augmented Software Engineer will look beyond the mystique surrounding “dark factories” and focus on the practical software engineering questions behind them. The meetup forms part of Dublin AI-Week, bringing its programme into a setting centred specifically on augmented software engineering. Its central question is direct: How do you build, configure and run dark software factories? Rather than treating highly automated software production as “dark magic”, the event will create space to examine the systems and decisions needed to make this approach work. What to expect The evening is being organised around presentations and discussion of automated software factories. At the time of publication, the programme includes one confirmed presentation, with the organiser actively looking for a second contributor. This gives the session a focused, community-led format rather than a broad conference agenda. The subject will be particularly relevant to: - Software engineers exploring AI-assisted and highly automated development - Engineering leads considering new approaches to building and operating software systems - Practitioners interested in the configuration and operation of software factories - Members of Dublin’s AI and software engineering communities - Potential speakers with practical knowledge or a perspective to contribute No specific experience level or prerequisite knowledge is listed, so attendees should use the theme to judge whether the session matches their interests. The Meetup page also provides an event chat for registered attendees who want to connect and join the conversation before the session begins. Programme and location The event runs for two hours and is hosted by Roland T., listed on Meetup as a Super Organizer. The final Dublin venue is still being confirmed, so attendees should monitor the event page for location updates.… Register for this event

⌖ Dublin · Dogpatch Labs

Hosted by Give(a)Go

Build practical AI solutions for Ireland using public data and OpenAI tools at this one-day team build event in Dublin. Taking place on 10 October 2026, from 11:00 to 17:30, Build for Ireland will bring 150–200 builders to Dogpatch Labs for a focused day of forming teams, developing ideas and shipping demonstrable AI projects. The event is delivered by OpenAI, Give(a)Go and Dogpatch Labs as part of Dublin AI Week and NDRC programming. What you’ll build The challenge is deliberately open: identify a real problem facing Ireland, use available public datasets and create something useful before the end of the day. Projects could explore: - Traffic and public transport - Public infrastructure and local services - Publicly available camera feeds - Ways to connect local businesses through MCP - Other practical opportunities to help Ireland work smarter Participants will build with Codex and other OpenAI tools, with OpenAI credits provided for project development. After a short challenge briefing and technical introduction, attendees will form teams, build and test their ideas, then submit their work in the afternoon. Eight selected teams will present short demos. This is a relaxed showcase rather than a conventional competition: there is no formal judging panel or cash prize. The emphasis is on useful work, strong collaboration and projects with the potential to continue after the event. Who should apply? Build for Ireland is aimed at engineers, technical founders, researchers, designers and strong recent graduates who enjoy building and shipping. Applications are reviewed according to applicants’ experience, previous work and what they want to explore during the day. Registration requires host approval. Schedule - 11:00, Doors open and breakfast - 11:30, Welcome, challenge briefing and technical introduction - 12:00, Building begins - 13:00, Lunch - 16:00, Project submissions - 16:30, Selected demos - 17:30, Close… Register for this event

Sponsors: OpenAI · Give(a)Go +1

⌖ Dublin · The Convention Centre Dublin

Hosted by The Analytics Institute

Analytics + AI Summit 2026 brings data and AI professionals to Dublin on 13 October for keynotes, practical use cases, technical labs and sector discussions. Hosted by The Analytics Institute at The Convention Centre Dublin, this full-day conference is designed to connect the people shaping how analytics and artificial intelligence are used across organisations. The summit marks 11 years of community, innovation and impact, expanding across three floors of the venue for its most ambitious edition yet. What to expect The programme combines strategic thinking with practical, real-world learning. Across multiple stages and formats, attendees can expect: - Main-stage keynotes from global thought leaders, presented in a space with capacity for more than 2,000 people - An AI UseCase Stage focused on practical applications and lessons from real implementations - Sector-led discussions created for executives and organisational decision-makers - Deep-dive AI Labs aimed at technical professionals who want more detailed, specialist content With 30+ speakers and hundreds of organisations represented, the summit offers a broad view of the current data landscape and the rapid growth of AI across sectors. Its multi-track format should help attendees choose between high-level leadership perspectives, applied examples and deeper technical exploration throughout the day. Who should attend? This event is relevant to analytics and AI professionals, technical practitioners, business leaders, executives and decision-makers. It should particularly suit people responsible for data strategy, AI adoption or implementation who want to compare approaches, learn from industry experts and understand how other sectors are responding to AI’s accelerating impact. The in-person setting also creates opportunities to meet peers from a large cross-section of organisations and build connections across the wider data and AI community. Further programme information is available on the official summit website. Event details… Register for this event

⌖ Dublin · Royal Dublin Society (RDS)

Hosted by Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE)

Ireland's International AI Summit 2026 marks the official launch of European AI Innovation Month, positioning Dublin at the heart of Europe's AI conversation. Hosted by Ireland's Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment during the country's EU Presidency, this flagship event brings together EU and global leaders, heads of government, CEOs, investors, innovators and academics at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) on 14th October 2026. What Makes This Summit Essential Under the theme Harnessing AI to Revolutionise Europe's Competitiveness, the summit serves as a high-level platform for strategic dialogue on AI's future application across Europe and globally. Ireland's unique position as the EU headquarters for sixteen of the world's top twenty global technology companies and eight leading foundational AI model providers makes it an ideal setting for this critical conversation about Europe's technological sovereignty and competitive future. Programme Structure The full-day summit combines multiple engagement formats designed to explore AI from policy, economic and technological perspectives. Ministerial addresses and keynote speeches from global leaders will establish the strategic context, with confirmed keynote speaker EU Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen addressing technological sovereignty, security and democracy. These high-level addresses are complemented by panel discussions and fireside chats examining: - Competitiveness and innovation in the European AI landscape - Trustworthy AI development and deployment - Digital infrastructure requirements for AI advancement - Investment strategies and funding mechanisms - Skills and talent development for the AI economy Sector Deep Dives and Practical Applications Beyond strategic policy discussion, the summit includes European-focused sector deep dives examining AI opportunities across key areas of economy and society. These sessions highlight practical examples of AI adoption and collaboration, showcasing how businesses, public services and research institutions deploy AI solutions to improve productivity, deliver innovative services and address complex societal challenges. An Innovation Spotlight Exhibition will provide enterprises the opportunity to demonstrate cutting-edge AI applications and solutions, with expressions of