Dublin Tech Summit spotlights the great disruption: Powershifts in the global tech order
Author – Business & Finance
Dublin Tech Summit will bring together influential leaders from across the world to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing the world today, from AI and quantum computing to the climate crisis and defence.
Dublin Tech Summit, one of Europe’s fastest-growing technology summits, will feature a panel on ‘The Great Disruption: Power Shifts in the New Global Tech Order’.
For decades, the US has set the pace for global innovation, driven by Silicon Valley’s dominance, rapid venture capital investment, and a free-market approach to emerging technologies. But Europe is charting a different course, one defined by regulatory oversight, ethical AI governance, and a strategic push to lead in trust-driven innovation.
As the EU implements the AI Act, a world-first piece of comprehensive AI regulation, the US is taking the opposite route, prioritising deregulation and aggressive investment in AI infrastructure. Meanwhile, major tech players are caught between these diverging models, balancing compliance with the EU’s structured approach while benefiting from America’s open market for AI-led disruption.
This isn’t just a policy debate it’s a tech power shift with far-reaching implications. Will Europe’s regulation-first stance slow down innovation or create a safer, more sustainable AI ecosystem? Can the US maintain its dominance while resisting tighter oversight? And how will these competing strategies impact global businesses, startups, and AI adoption?
Key discussion points will include how the regulatory split between the EU and the US is reshaping the global AI market, the complication of navigating compliance in Europe while capitalising on deregulation in the US, if Europe’s regulatory-first approach will impact funding and VC appetite compared to the US, and more.
The Panel
Mark Thompson
Chief Strategy Officer, IAPP
Mark is Director of Research and Insights at IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals). In this role, Mark is focused on providing, relevant, strategic and pragmatic research and insights to the privacy community. Prior to joining the IAPP, Mark was the Global Lead for KPMG’s Privacy Advisory Practice, which specializes in providing privacy-related support to global clients and the UK Cyber Risk and Regulation Lead. Mark has supported 100+ global organizations on their privacy journeys. This has ranged from small start-up based organizations which needed pragmatic and flexible structures to support innovation and business growth to a large selection of global 100 organizations, processing hundreds of millions of customer records which operations across 80+ countries. Mark has served on a range of industry and adviser committees and has regular interactions with privacy regulators and at the most senior levels of clients (e.g. Global Boards / NEDs) in relation to their Cyber and Privacy challenges. Mark has direct experience in multiple sectors including, Retail, Telecommunications, Media, Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, Clinical Research, Biotechnology, Telecommunications, Media, Utilities, Government, Health Services, Manufacturing, Travel Services, Public Transport, Aviation and Financial Services. Mark’s professional qualifications include, BA (Hons) Business Studies, MSc in Information Security, CIPP/E, CIPT, CIPM, Fellow of Information Privacy, Achieved Prince 2 Practitioner, TOGAF 8 Certified, ITIL Certified.
John Clancy
CEO & Co-Founder, Galvia AI
John Clancy is CEO and Founder of Galvia AI, one of Ireland’s leading AI companies. John is one of Ireland’s leading AI commentators, and has been featured in Magnified with Matt Cooper, The Irish Times, The Anton Savage Show, The Sunday Times, The Pat Kenny Show, The Business Post, among others. John is also a board member of the Enterprise Digital Advisory Forum (EDAF) to advise and work with the government of Ireland to drive industry adoption of AI. John has a career spanning over two decades in technology and data analytics, and is well-known in the space for his ability to bridge the gap between complex AI technologies and practical, user-friendly applications that drive measurable impact for businesses.
Dublin Tech Summit will take place during the first-ever Dublin Tech Week, a week-long celebration of innovation, community and collaboration running from 23 – 30 May. The confirmed keynote speakers include Sarah Friar, CFO of Open AI and UK serial entrepreneur, changemaker and digital broadcaster; Grace Beverley.
The conference will also feature the return of the Tech Hive stage, which has evolved into a cornerstone of technical innovation at Dublin Tech Summit.
Using a unique silent-disco format, the Tech Hive will showcase deep technical content including Ben Colman, CEO and Co-Founder of Reality Defender, who will address the critical challenge of using AI to combat deepfakes across financial services and other key sectors, and Brendan Barry, CTO of Equal 1, who will explore the current state and future potential of quantum computing.
Hind Ziane
Founder and CEO, Génération Politique
Hind Ziane is a political strategist, entrepreneur, TV analyst and international speaker from France. After working in American and French politics, she decided to create her own business, Génération Politique, a tech company dedicated to the public sector, in 2018.Hind started her career at the age of 18 when she joined the team of a Barack Obama appointee at the Department of Energy. She worked for more than 3 years with institutions such as the White House, the UNESCO or the House of Representatives and then went on to create her business.
David Crozier
Director, Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC), Invest NI
David Crozier is Director of the £16.3m Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC), a joint venture between Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast. Previously he was CEO of Software NI, representing the £1.7 billion software industry having spent over a decade at QUB’s Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) as Head of Strategic Partnerships and Engagement. He was appointed to the DSIT (previously DCMS) College of Experts in 2021, the NI Cyber Security Steering Group in 2018 and was, until recently, Chair of SpecialisterneNI. He was awarded a CBE in the 2024 New Year’s Honours List for services to the economy.
Moderator
Anisah Osman Britton MBE
Sifted | Forbes 30 under 30 | Financial Times 100 most influential BAME Leaders in Tech
Over the last decade, Anisah has become a well-respected voice in the tech industry, working at the intersection of technology, impact and capital. The common thread in her work has been her steadfast belief that tech can be a force for good. She was awarded an MBE in the King’s 2023 New Year’s honours for services to diversity in tech, is a Forbes 30 under 30 honouree and is listed in the Financial Times’ 100 most influential BAME leaders in tech. She is currently a reporter at Sifted, where she writes the Startup Life newsletter, director of operations at women in VC platform WVC:E, and the author of Brown Bodies where she explores sex in the South Asian diaspora.
