The AI Policy Workshop will take place during the UKRI Inter AI CDT Conference 2025 on 29th October, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at The Apex Hotel, James Street West, Bath.
This in-person session will feature a series of short talks from a panel of experts from across Europe, followed by an audience Q&A. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Charles Larkin, Director of Research at the Institute for Policy Research (IPR).
Panel members include:
- Deirdre Bane, Deputy Dean, Institute of Bankers, Ireland
- Malcolm Byrne, TD, Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on AI
- Jernej Renko, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana
- Vladimir Sucha, Professor at the European University Institute, former DG of the European Commission’s JRC
Registration is now closed. For more information, please e-mail [email protected].
For more information about the speakers, see the details below.
Deirdre Bane
Bio
Dr Deirdre Bane is currently serving as Deputy Dean at the IOB, a college of UCD, with expertise in Financial Services, Governance, Strategy, Risk, and Higher Education. She holds a PhD in Entrepreneurship and multiple postgraduate qualifications in accountancy, public administration, digital humanities, statistics, and financial services strategy. A dual-designated accountant (CIPFA, FCCA), Deirdre has worked in Ireland and the US, including roles at Sanford C. Bernstein, Credit Suisse First Boston, and Appleseed Inc., where she led economic impact analyses for major infrastructure projects and leading universities. In Ireland, she has held academic posts and advised public bodies and non-profits on finance, governance, and strategy.
Her doctoral research on knowledge-based start-ups advanced absorptive capacity theory by showing how knowledge production tools—mechanisms for codifying and sharing expertise—signal organisational potential. These insights translate directly to AI policy and integration: just as start-ups absorb new knowledge for growth, established organisations must build routines, structures, and governance to embed AI into decision-making and culture. Her current research focuses on AI strategy and governance, exploring how organisations can assess readiness, optimise knowledge flows, and develop frameworks that make AI a driver of resilience and innovation.
Malcolm Byrne
Bio
Malcolm Byrne has been TD for Wicklow-Wexford since 2024 and serves as Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Fianna Fáil’s Spokesperson on Climate, Environment and Energy.
From Gorey, Co. Wexford, he is a graduate in Law, Arbitration and Governance (UCD, QUB). He previously worked for Chambers Ireland, as the first Commercial Manager with my home.ie, as Chief Executive of Community Games, as Executive Director of Screen Producers Ireland and for twelve years as Head of Communications and Public Affairs with the Higher Education Authority.
A Councillor from 1999 to 2019, he also served as Chair of Wexford County Council. A former Vice-President of the National Youth Council of Ireland, Education Officer with the Union of Students in Ireland and Executive Member of the European Students’ Union, he was named in 2014 as one of the EU 40 Under 40 European Young Leaders. From 2020 to 2024 he was a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel in the Seanad Éireann and was Fianna Fáil’s Spokesperson on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
He has a strong interest in issues relating to education, research, technology, the arts, foreign policy, youth participation, housing, planning and local government. He has completed 31 marathons.
Jernej Renko
Bio
Jernej Renko completed his undergraduate and master’s studies at the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana, obtained his Master of Laws (LL.M.) at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, and is currently completing his doctorate at the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana, in the field of tort liability for autonomous systems (AI). During his doctoral studies, he conducted a research visit at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and Private International Law in Hamburg, Germany, and spoke at several conferences in Slovenia and abroad. His research primarily focuses on contract, consumer, and tort law, particularly their application in the context of emerging digital technologies.
Vladimir Sucha
Bio
Vladimír Šucha, visiting professor at the European University Institute, brings three decades of experience bridging scientific research and evidence-based policymaking. As Director-General of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (2012-2019), he led organizational transformation to deliver policy support across thirty DGs. He served as Senior Policy Advisor at UNESCO, contributing to the first international AI Ethics Recommendation, and advised the Slovak Prime Minister on innovation policy. A Full Professor with over 100 peer-reviewed publications, his recent work focuses on AI governance and societal transformation, including his monograph “Humans and Societies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” and developing frameworks for democratic resilience in technological advancement.
Title
When AI Outpaces Democracy: Dual-Track Resilience Through Governance and Human Agency
Abstract
Democratic societies face an unprecedented challenge: artificial intelligence capabilities advance exponentially while governance institutions respond at traditional policy speeds. This presentation introduces a new analytical framework treating AI systems as “cognitive environmental contaminants” that create cumulative psychological and social effects below individual detection thresholds. Drawing parallels to environmental health science, I demonstrate how seemingly “low-risk” AI systems collectively reshape human agency, democratic participation, and social cohesion. The analysis reveals a critical rather short implementation window before potential AGI emergence forecloses meaningful intervention opportunities. I propose a dual-track response combining institutional governance innovation with systematic development of psycho-emotional resilience across individuals and communities.
