Ian Dodson discusses skills development in an AI-driven world and the challenges professionals may face in accessing learning opportunities.
Ireland’s AI landscape, and the global landscape, is changing faster than many organizations and experts can keep up with. As companies adopt new processes and employees find their roles augmented by artificial intelligence, one thing is clear: organizations that want their employees to advance should consider AI education.
“Ireland’s AI training scene is growing rapidly, but it’s still very fragmented,” said Ian Dodson, founder and CEO of AIC is guaranteed and founder of the Digital Market Institute.
The edtech founder added, “Many people acquire skills through crash courses, company-run workshops, online videos, or self-taught through YouTube and other similar platforms. These can get you started, but they often don’t provide proper, structured training or widely recognized qualifications.”
Because of this, Dodson found that it can be difficult for employers and professionals to determine who really knows their stuff and is simply stuck with AI, leading to a situation where “skill levels are all over the map and lack any meaningful credentials”.
Dodson thinks that’s where the plans are associated with educational institutionsindustry-validated and capable of creating a level of professional AI skills, they have a major role to play in creating a future-oriented workforce.
AI has been invented
For Dodson, students and professionals need a clear way to demonstrate the depth of their knowledge and a reliable, measurable qualification framework has the potential to provide people with an entry point into education, a pathway to progression and validation of their skills.
He said: “This gives people proof that they can use AI effectively and efficiently at work, not just tinker with tools.
By creating a standard that contains academic accreditation and is recognized by key industry figures, Dodson believes that professionals and companies can build trust and consistency in a field that is “very uncertain right now”.
He added: “Accreditation means the learning is serious and meets the right standards, while industry feedback ensures the skills are really useful in real jobs.
Which is, he found, a major challenge in the current AI training market, as there can be too much focus on using a medley of tools without diving deep enough into the basics of the course. Furthermore, consistency in what is taught, and how people are ranked, can cause problems.
“Pretty much anyone can do a course and say they’re teaching AI, but there’s usually no good way to say that people have learned something useful,” Dodson explained.
Therefore, certifications may imply that someone has developed and companies cannot be sure that the training leads to real skills.
On a broad scale, by connecting AI education in the European Qualifications Framework, he noted, the certification will actually match the broader European expectations.
He said: “This framework sets out what skills and knowledge people should have at different levels, so that AI courses are aligned with these levels.” That way, Irish professionals can prove what they know wherever they go in Europe, and it makes these qualifications more respected and useful.
No one was left behind
We live in an age where being able to use AI, both responsibly and effectively, is becoming as important as learning how to navigate the web was in the early days of the Internet. As AI is increasingly used in everyday tasks – for example, in data collection, cleaning, management, content creation and more – those without the skills risk falling behind professionally.
Dodson said: “If you don’t pick up these skills, you could be missing out on a lot of new opportunities. AI is no longer just for professionals, it’s becoming a must-have skill for many jobs”, adding, “Government, colleges, and businesses all need to pull in the same direction, not just to offer more courses, but to actually build big programs that transform real skills.”
Ultimately, he noted, the real challenge in AI education is not just access to tools and technology, it’s about establishing clear and reliable learning paths for those who want to expand their skills over the long term.
“As AI becomes a more mainstream part of business and everyday life, we will need the right qualifications and training that really means something. If Ireland gets these standards soon, it will help make sure AI is used well and for the right reasons, not just as a gimmick.”
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