Coming up this month the Fórsa Skills Academy has a very exciting Lunch and Learn on offer. This month’s session, An introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your workplace, will help members cut through some of the hype and catastrophising surrounding AI. 

As conference season is fast approaching, the session will take place earlier in the month than usual, on Friday 11th April, at 1pm.  

Love it or loathe it, it looks like AI is here to stay. It’s regularly in the media, either hailed as the “fifth industrial revolution” or decried as a destroyer of jobs.  

Despite how much coverage AI gets, finding reliable information on what it will mean for workers is still quite difficult. This session will bring together speakers from Fórsa and the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) who will explain what generative AI is, what effects it may have on workers, and what unions are doing to ensure AI improves jobs rather than replacing them. 

Fórsa national secretary, Catherine Keogh, will explain Fórsa's work in the area. She will take members through motions passed at conference, the establishment of Fórsa’s Artificial Intelligence Working Group, and the working group’s recommendations. 

Kate O’Sullivan, Fórsa’s digital director, will outline the basics of generative AI, what it is, what it does, its limitations, and its uses.  

AI can be a useful tool, but it comes with the danger of falling foul of GDPR legislation. Martina O’Leary, Fórsa’s Data Protection Officer, will explain how GDPR applies to AI, and how to stay compliant with data privacy regulations.  

An ETUI representative will round the session off with an examination of the wider context of AI, what effects it may have on working life, and the opportunities it presents for improving workers’ lives. 

If you are interested in attending, you can register here. 

Registration is open until close of business on Thursday 10th April 2025. 

The online session will run from 1-2pm on Friday 11th April. 

Watch back: Making learning Easier, assistive technology in education 

The March Lunch and Learn is now available online. In this very well received session, Deirdre Madden, assistive technology outreach co-ordinator at Access UCC, explained the various types of assistive technologies and how they can be useful to both abled and disabled people.  

Members, particularly those working in the education, training, or disabilities sectors, are encouraged to take a look. 

You can watch the session here. 

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