The UCD AI Institute will see researchers work alongside computer engineers to make the most of the technology.

University College Dublin (UCD) is launching an institute dedicated to helping scientists conduct AI-powered research.

The UCD AI Institute was launched today (15 October) at the European Commission AI in Science 2026 (AIS26) Summit, one of many high-profile events taking place in the country as part of Ireland’s presidency of the EU Council. The launch comes just after the International AI Summit concluded in Dublin yesterday (14 October).

The institute comes with a team of computer science engineers who will work alongside researchers to adapt existing AI technology for their needs. The model is designed to make advanced AI capability available beyond computer science, UCD said.

The university already conducts AI-enabled research across fields – from using AI to create digital twins of paediatric cancer patients to improve care and to improve the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia in maternal health, to advancing weather forecasting.

More than 200 faculty members already work in AI-related fields across the university’s six colleges, many of whom are funded under national programmes, such as Rinn AI, CeADAR and Precision Oncology Ireland.

Last year, the university bought a €724,000 Nvidia supercomputer to accelerate AI-powered research on campus and allow students from across fields to access the high-end technology.

The institute will be led by global expert in AI research Prof Robin Burke, who helped found and develop the field of personalised recommender systems, a type of AI system that is used by multiple popular tech platforms from Amazon to Instagram.

Burke is the chair and professor of information science within the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information at the University of Colorado.

“AI has the potential to become a powerful catalyst for human inquiry, but researchers should not have to become AI specialists themselves to realise that potential,” said Burke.

“Our model is about bringing AI expertise directly alongside researchers. A scientist, clinician, agricultural researcher or humanities scholar can bring us a research question and work with experts to explore how AI can help them answer it.

“We also have an important responsibility as an independent academic institution to examine AI critically – its capabilities, its limitations and its impact – and to help ensure its development remains trustworthy, responsible and human-centred.”

Earlier this week, Google committed $2.5m to Ireland’s first dedicated AI weather research centre Aimsir (AI for Meteorological Services, Innovation and Research), also based out of UCD.

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