Workday roundtable in Dublin discusses AI adoption and gender gap

Industry leaders gathered at a Workday‑hosted roundtable in Dublin to discuss AI adoption, reskilling and the under‑representation of women in AI leadership roles.

The panel comprised Claire Hickie, EMEA CTO at Workday; Terry O’Laoghaire, COO of technology infrastructure at State Street; Dympna O’Sullivan, VP of research and innovation at TU Dublin; and Sue Duke, LinkedIn’s managing director for EMEA and LatAm and VP of global public policy. Guests from Enterprise Ireland, IBM and Connecting Women in Technology also contributed.

O’Laoghaire highlighted State Street’s responsibility for “trillions of the world’s financial assets” and stressed the need for secure governance as the firm rolls out Copilot to all employees, noting strong staff appetite despite concerns about job security.

Duke cited LinkedIn data showing no net job displacement from AI, arguing that the shift lies in changing skill demands. She warned that by 2030, LinkedIn expects 70 % of role‑required skills to have changed, with hard AI skills held by roughly one in 100 workers in developed markets.

Hickie described Workday’s internal “everyday AI” programme, which has reduced her own support tickets to one per year, illustrating how AI can streamline routine tasks.

O’Sullivan explained TU Dublin’s five‑point traffic‑light system for AI use in student assessment and raised questions about what should be taught and assessed as AI becomes more embedded in education.

The discussion underscored the need for psychological safety, upskilling and broader inclusion as AI reshapes workplaces across Ireland and beyond.

Source: Silicon Republic. Photo: Matheus Bertelli / Pexels.