Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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If our guests are talking to the Department, they should mention that kids should be going into industry far sooner. They should be going in as first and second years even for a short while just to see what the industry space is like and the opportunities that are available.

The elephant in the room as we develop in this area is artificial intelligence, AI. It will impact not only on the understanding of physics but also the ability of people to rationalise and problem solve for themselves when the problem can be given to a computer. Our competitive advantage over the past 20 or 30 years, in particular, has been the quality of our education and the ability of our people to go out and achieve in many spheres. It seems that AI might be the great leveller, in that it will allow everybody to have access to the same information and outputs. Where do our guests see the challenges? There are obviously huge opportunities, without a doubt, but what are the challenges for Ireland Inc. in trying to harness that AI and not be left behind? It is obvious that other countries are moving ahead far more quickly than we are here.