NI at ‘tipping point’ for AI adoption as new AI Learning Lab launches amid widening UK skills gap

NI at 'tipping point' for AI adoption as new AI Learning Lab launches amid widening UK skills gap

2 April, 2026

Northern Ireland is at a critical tipping point in its adoption of artificial intelligence, as a new AI Learning Lab launches to help close a growing skills gap that experts warn could leave the region trailing other parts of the UK.

Pictured at the launch of the new AI Learning Lab from the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC) at the Ebrington Hotel in Derry~Londonderry are (l-r): David Crozier CBE, Director of the AICC; Carmel McConville, Deputy Director of Innovation and Priority Sectors, Department for the Economy; Kathryn Harkin, AICC Advisory Board Chair; and Geraldine Doherty, Professional Training and Academic Co-Ordinator, AICC.

The Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC), an initiative led by Ulster University in partnership with Queen's University Belfast and funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the Department for the Economy, has launched the new digital learning platform to support individuals and organisations in building practical AI capability.

At the heart of the AI Learning Lab, the AICC's Virtual Learning Environment offers free, flexible online courses designed to help learners understand, evaluate and apply artificial intelligence in real-world contexts, with an initial suite including Fundamentals of AI, Prompt to Prototype and Data Readiness for AI.

David Crozier CBE, Director of the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre, said:

"Businesses across Northern Ireland are eager to embrace AI, and what they're looking for now is a clear path forward. Organisations understand the potential of AI and they want to act on it, but they need the right support to move from ambition to implementation.

"The AI Learning Lab provides exactly that, a practical, accessible platform that turns interest into action and makes AI something people can confidently use, not just talk about."

Professor Iain Styles, who leads the partnership at Queen's University Belfast, commented:

"The AI Learning Lab will allow the AI Collaboration Centre to further extend its impact by providing accessible pathways into getting started with AI for everyone. This will help companies to adopt AI, individuals to develop their skills, and the whole Northern Irish economy to realise the technology's potential.

"This adds to the skills training already being delivered through AICC scholarships for a range of MSc programmes and makes high quality training available to a much broader range of people."

While AI adoption and investment are accelerating across the UK, Northern Ireland is still developing the skills and capability needed to fully realise the technology's potential across its workforce and wider economy.

Carmel McConville, Deputy Director of Innovation and Priority Sectors, Department for the Economy, said:

"Artificial intelligence will play a critical role in improving productivity, driving innovation and supporting economic growth across Northern Ireland.

"Ensuring individuals and organisations have the capability to adopt these technologies in practice is a key priority, and initiatives such as the AI Learning Lab will play an important role in supporting that ambition."

Kathryn Harkin, AICC Advisory Board Chair, said:

"In many organisations, the challenge isn't access to AI tools, it's knowing how to apply them in a way that delivers real value. "Business leaders are under pressure to improve productivity and make better decisions, but without the right skills, AI can feel more like noise than opportunity.

"What's needed now is practical capability, and that's where initiatives like this can make a real difference."

The AI Learning Lab was launched at an event in Derry-Londonderry, reflecting a wider push to strengthen AI skills and talent development across Northern Ireland in line with the Department for the Economy's AI Strategic Direction, which identifies building capability and supporting adoption as critical to the region's future competitiveness.

Geraldine Doherty, Professional Training and Academic Co-ordinator, AICC, said:

"We designed the AI Learning Lab around the real questions people are asking: what is AI, how can I use it, and where do I start?

"The focus is on practical understanding, helping learners build the confidence to apply AI in their own roles, whether that's improving processes, developing ideas or preparing their organisation for adoption.

"It's about turning AI from something abstract into something useful."

However, the benefits of AI will not be realised automatically. They will depend on how quickly individuals and organisations can build the knowledge, skills and confidence required to apply these technologies in practice.

If effectively harnessed, artificial intelligence has the potential to drive productivity, improve efficiency and support long-term economic growth across Northern Ireland. Without that capability in place, there is a clear risk the region will fall further behind as adoption accelerates elsewhere.

The AI Learning Lab is now open for applications. Find out more at: aicc.co/learninglab

Media

Media inquiries to Una Bradley [email protected]

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