AI Act Deep Dive With Kai Zenner (Podcast)

The EU Cyber Resilience Act introduces mandatory reporting obligations for manufacturers of digital products, requiring them to notify authorities within 24 hours of discovering actively exploited vulnerabilities or severe security incidents. This regulation establishes strict timelines for early warnings, detailed vulnerability notifications, and final reports, fundamentally changing how manufacturers must respond to cybersecurity threats.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has delivered landmark judgments that fundamentally reshape how online platforms can claim immunity from liability for user-generated content. These decisions establish that algorithmic content distribution and commercial partnerships with creators may strip platforms of their safe harbour protections, forcing a reassessment of how social media companies, video-sharing services, and digital marketplaces structure their operations and revenue models.

The EU launched a call for tenders to establish up to 7 AI Gigafactories across Europe, with more than €30 billion of expected public and private investment to boost computing capacity, support AI innovation and strengthen the EU's position as a global AI leader.

As the EU AI Act's Article 50 transparency obligations approach their 2 August 2026 enforcement date, organizations face critical requirements to disclose AI interactions, label deepfakes, and mark synthetic content. This session examines the practical implications of these transparency mandates, drawing on the European Commission's recently published Guidelines and Code of Practice to help stakeholders prepare for compliance.

The EU AI Act's transparency obligations take effect from 2 August 2026, requiring organisations across the EU to disclose when and how they use AI in customer-facing tools like chatbots and content generators. With Ireland's new AI Office now established and regulatory scrutiny intensifying, businesses face the challenge of mapping existing AI deployments and embedding appropriate disclosures into their products and services before enforcement begins.

The European Commission has published an Action Plan addressing the dual-edged nature of frontier artificial intelligence models in cybersecurity, outlining how the EU will harness AI's defensive capabilities while protecting against AI-powered cyber threats. Through nine key actions spanning 2026-2027, the plan establishes frameworks for safe AI evaluation, structured access to advanced AI capabilities, and the scaling of European sovereign AI cybersecurity solutions across critical infrastructure sectors.

The European Commission has published comprehensive guidelines on AI transparency obligations under Article 50 of the EU AI Act, with enforcement beginning August 2, 2026. These guidelines establish how organizations must disclose AI systems, mark synthetic content, label deepfakes, and demonstrate compliance, with significant penalties for non-compliance reaching up to €15 million or 3% of global turnover.

The European Commission's AI Digital Omnibus proposes targeted amendments to the EU's AI Act, aiming to simplify compliance requirements and address implementation challenges while maintaining core safeguards. The revision extends timelines for high-risk AI systems and provides additional regulatory privileges for small and mid-cap enterprises navigating the world's first comprehensive horizontal legal framework for artificial intelligence.

Irish organisations face mounting challenges in demonstrating measurable returns from their AI investments, with 69% of larger companies actively concerned about ROI and only 11% reporting positive results to date. As new EU regulations including the AI Act, DORA, NIS 2, and the Data Act introduce stringent requirements, many are forced to revisit first-generation AI contracts that inadequately addressed risk allocation and return metrics.

Cybersecurity has emerged as the most critical technology risk facing Irish businesses, yet a significant confidence gap exists in their ability to counter AI-driven threats.

European securities regulators are launching a comprehensive assessment of crypto-asset service providers' digital operational resilience, with a particular focus on custody activities and distributed ledger technology risks. The exercise will examine how firms manage critical areas including key storage, transaction controls, incident response, and third-party dependencies under the newly enforceable Digital Operational Resilience Act.

The Pay Transparency Directive (Directive) aims to strengthen the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women and expands upon current Gender Pay Gap (GPG) reporting requirements. Pay transparency measures introduced by the Directive will empower workers to access information to challenge pay inequality within an organisation.

Under this Act, if an employee has an employment contract with a mandatory retirement age that is lower than the State pension age (currently 66) (State Pension Age), the employee has the right to notify their employer that they do not consent to retire at that earlier age. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has also updated its Code of Practice on Longer Working (Code) to reflect what employers and employees need to do under the Act.

The Insurance (Disregard of Certain Medical History and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 introduces sweeping changes to the Central Bank of Ireland's regulatory powers over insurers and reinsurers. Beyond the widely discussed "right to be forgotten" provisions for cancer survivors seeking mortgage protection, the legislation fundamentally expands the grounds on which the Central Bank can petition for winding-up orders and extends these powers to cover reinsurers for the first time.

This August 2026 edition of Funds Focus examines critical regulatory developments affecting asset management and investment funds, including the Central Bank of Ireland's...

The Irish High Court has ruled on whether a foreign judgment creditor can invoke Irish courts to recognize and enforce an overseas judgment, examining whether rights under aircraft leasing arrangements—including maintenance reserve reimbursement rights, lease deposits, and interests in Irish aviation structures—constitute assets for jurisdictional purposes.

Understanding Ireland's work and residence permissions system is crucial for employers hiring international talent. This video explores the requirements for third country nationals seeking employment in Ireland, covering employment permit categories, application prerequisites, and the essential steps employers must complete before bringing foreign workers onboard.

The Irish High Court has expanded the scope of Norwich Pharmacal Orders beyond traditional litigation contexts, ruling that RTÉ must disclose unedited undercover footage from nursing homes to support a regulatory investigation. This landmark decision addresses critical questions about when courts can compel third parties to provide information, the boundaries of journalistic material disclosure, and how privacy rights balance against urgent public interest in regulatory enforcement.

Ireland's examinership process provides a unique corporate rescue mechanism for international restructuring, offering automatic EU recognition, worldwide creditor moratorium, and cross-class cram down capabilities. This comprehensive guide examines how non-Irish companies can leverage examinership for complex cross-border restructurings, featuring case studies of major transactions including Norwegian Air, Mallinckrodt plc, and Weatherford, with comparative analysis against UK and US restructuring framework

When a worker raises a protected disclosure in Ireland, employers must follow specific legal procedures under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. This video outlines the critical steps organisations need to take, from establishing internal reporting channels to conducting proper investigations and avoiding criminal offences. Understanding these requirements is essential for maintaining compliance and protecting both whistleblowers and the organisation.