Martina Fitzgerald, CEO of Scale Ireland, moderated a pivotal discussion on artificial intelligence at the Venturewave Capital Global Advisory Council (GAC) 2025. The event, part of the AI Global Advisory Council 2025, featured a panel titled “AI: New Technologies for a New Reality,” which examined how AI is reshaping economies, workforces, and investment priorities — and how Ireland can lead in deploying technology for measurable societal benefit.

The session featured Martyn Briggs (Director, Bank of America), Mark Little (Founder, Kinzen / Spotify), and Dr Patricia Scanlon (Founder, SoapBox Labs; Chair of Ireland’s AI Advisory Council) and was aligned with the goals of the AI Global Advisory Council initiative.

AI Investment Enters Its Defining Decade

Martyn Briggs noted that global AI investment exceeded $192 billion in 2025, with over half of all venture capital now directed toward AI-led innovation. He highlighted that “AI is moving from the digital to the physical world transforming energy, healthcare, and manufacturing,” which aligns with the ambitions of global advisory councils on AI developments.

Mark Little described AI as a double-edged force: “It’s the most powerful tool ever built for truth and transparency — and the most dangerous for distortion. We must design for human agency, not automation alone.” He called for open, decentralised AI ecosystems that protect democratic participation, echoing key themes discussed by the AI advisory council in 2025.

From Hype to Governance

Dr Patricia Scanlon urged investors and policymakers to move beyond hype cycles and embed ethics, data governance, and inclusion into every deployment. “If AI is to serve society, not just efficiency, it must be measurable in terms of human benefit,” she said. Scanlon highlighted the work of Ireland’s AI Council on setting national principles for trustworthy AI and called for public-private collaboration to build resilient data infrastructure, a core focus of the AI Global Advisory Council 2025.

Policy and the Irish Advantage

The panel agreed that Ireland is well positioned to lead — combining regulatory agility with research depth and a reputation for neutrality. “Ireland can be a global model for ethical AI,” said Fitzgerald, closing the session. “We have the scale to innovate and the credibility to convene,” she remarked, a sentiment echoed in discussions by the AI Global Advisory Council 2025.

Watch the full discussion in the Impact Ireland 2025 Playlist or explore all highlights in Impact Must Be Measured — The Global Advisory Council 2025 Recap.

Tags: Impact Investing, GAC 2025, Artificial Intelligence, Martina Fitzgerald, Dr Patricia Scanlon, Mark Little, Martyn Briggs, Scale Ireland, Bank of America, Venturewave Capital, Innovation