AI Coffee Conversation

Thursday 26 March 2026

As AI tools become increasingly embedded across organisations, the focus is shifting from experimentation to building real capability. This session will explore how businesses, academia and emerging talent are responding to the growing AI skills gap across Northern Ireland.

Join the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC) for our third AI Coffee Conversation on Tuesday 31st March, part of our regular breakfast series designed to connect Northern Ireland’s growing AI community.

These informal morning meetups bring together technical professionals from industry, academia and the public sector to share ideas, build connections and explore how AI is being applied in the real world. Each session focuses on a key topic shaping the AI landscape, combining practical insights, real-world experiences and open discussion in a relaxed networking environment.

As AI tools become increasingly embedded across organisations, the focus is shifting from experimentation to building real capability. This session will explore how businesses, academia and emerging talent are responding to the growing AI skills gap across Northern Ireland.

Through postgraduate student perspectives, industry success stories and expert discussion, we will examine how organisations are integrating AI into their infrastructure and workflows, how they are approaching secure and responsible deployment, and how teams are being trained to use AI effectively.

The session will also highlight the student-to-industry talent pipeline, showcasing how structured AI education is translating into practical skills and real-world impact.

During the event, AICC will also introduce the AI Learning Lab, a new virtual learning platform designed to help organisations build AI capability across leadership, technical teams and the wider workforce.

Event Agenda

09:45 – Arrival & Networking
Referments and networking

10:15 – Welcome & Context
An introduction to the session theme, “Bridging the AI Skills Gap”, setting the scene for how AI is reshaping roles, skills and workforce development.

10:25 – Student Journey Panel
Hear from current students, graduates and academic representatives as they share their experiences of developing AI skills and transitioning into the workforce.

10:45 – Industry Panel: From Insight to Action
A panel discussion bringing together industry, research and regional voices to explore how organisations are adopting AI, where the key skills gaps exist, and what is needed to build workforce capability.

11:10 – Academic & Learning Perspective
Exploring what effective AI training looks like and how education is evolving to better prepare talent for real-world application.

11:20 – AI Learning Lab Showcase
Introduction to AICC’s new virtual learning platform, designed to support AI capability building across organisations.

11:30 – Hot Topic - Open Discussion
An open, facilitated discussion bringing together perspectives from across the room, focusing on AI skills, workforce readiness and future talent needs.

11:45 – Networking & Close
Continue the conversation and make connections before the session concludes.

Find out more.

Thursday 26 March 2026