Alex Buckley (Business Development Administrator, McNally Family Farm), Vanessa Hartley (Head of Google Ireland), and Derek McDermott (Director of Everyday Lending, Bank of Ireland), at the announcement of a new partnership between Bank of Ireland and Google
10,000 Google AI Professional Certificates for BOI customers
Bank of Ireland and Google have announced a new partnership to provide up to 10,000 Google AI Professional Certificate scholarships to Bank of Ireland’s SME customers.
Up to 10,000 fully funded scholarships for the Google AI Professional Certificate are available to Bank of Ireland’s SME customers through the ‘Grow with Google’ programme.
The partnership aims to support the digital capabilities of small and medium enterprises in Ireland and allow them access to tools that will help them to use AI to compete in the modern landscape.
Head of Google Ireland Vanessa Hartley that the success of these businesses is “crucial” to the country’s chances to grow their economy in this new era.
“Small and medium-sized businesses are fundamental to Ireland’s economy, creating jobs, driving innovation and strengthening communities across the country.
“Their success will be critical to ensuring Ireland thrives in the AI era. At Google, we’ve been supporting Irish SMEs with digital skills for more than 20 years and we are committed to helping businesses build the AI skills they need to continue to succeed.
“Through this partnership with Bank of Ireland, we’re making AI training more accessible, helping up to 10,000 SMEs gain the practical skills, tools and confidence to adopt AI, boost productivity and unlock new opportunities for growth.”
A new ‘SME AI Academy’ will also promote the scholarships on Bank of Ireland’s Thinkbusiness.ie platform and features practical guides for SMEs and case studies on early AI adopters.
The new AI supports provided will help Irish businesses build capabilities and prepare for the evolving regulatory landscape, including compliance obligations under the EU AI Act.
The latest provisions of the EU AI Act come into effect on Sunday, August 2 and are set to outline provisions on high-risk systems.
The EU regulation initially entered into force on that same day in 2024 and is designed to be a regulatory framework for AI systems placed on the market or deployed in the region.
With the EU AI Act applicable for businesses of all sizes, it is important for SMEs to understand compliance requirements and responsibly deploy their AI.
