Ministers Peter Burke TD and Niamh Smyth TD and leading copyright expert Professor Eleonora Rosati also confirmed for 14 October conference

Henna Virkkunen, European Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security & Democracy, will deliver a keynote address at a major conference in Dublin examining the future of copyright and human creativity in the age of artificial intelligence.

Copyright and Human Creativity in the Age of AI will examine how best to ensure that human creativity remains valued and protected amid rapid technological change. It is jointly hosted by NewsBrands Ireland and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA), with the support of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.

The conference takes place as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It gathers a diverse range of panellists, including policymakers, legal experts, rights holders, creators and representatives from the media and creative industries.

Alongside Commissioner Virkkunen, keynote speakers include Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke; Minister of State for Trade Promotion, AI and Digital Transformation Niamh Smyth; and Professor Eleonora Rosati, one of Europe’s leading experts on copyright and IP law. It will be hosted by Daniel McConnell, Editor of the Business Post.

The event will explore key questions at the heart of the copyright and AI debate, including how we can build trust around the use of AI; develop a fair and robust market for licensing copyrighted works; and ensure that copyright protections can be effectively enforced. Panels will examine the implications of AI for affected sectors, and consider how to support innovation while properly recognising and rewarding creative work.

Ann Marie Lenihan, CEO of NewsBrands Ireland, said:
“AI has enormous potential to drive innovation, but that innovation cannot come at the expense of the rights of those who create and invest in original content. Publishers must retain control over how their journalism is accessed, licensed, reproduced and used to train AI systems. Strong intellectual property rights are not a barrier to innovation; they are the foundation on which sustainable innovation depends.”
“This conference will bring together some of the leading voices in Europe to examine how we can build a copyright framework that supports innovation while ensuring that creators and rights holders are properly recognised, protected and rewarded. It is an important conversation for Ireland and for Europe, and we are delighted to be hosting it during Ireland’s EU Presidency.”

David Kitching, Head of Public Affairs & Communications at IRMA, said:
“This is an opportunity to appeal to the European policymakers to protect human creativity by maintaining transparency and accountability rules in the use of AI tools. Without the necessary guardrails, music and other creative output can be taken without authorisation or payment, diverting money away from rights holders.”
“Ireland can show real leadership, as both a tech hub and a society that values culture, in promoting copyright laws that maintain a fair and equitable system, that sustains our creative sectors. IRMA is delighted to join NewsBrands in facilitating these discussions at such an important time.”

Copyright and Human Creativity in the Age of AI takes place on 14 October 2026 at the Irish Film Institute, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

Further speakers and panellists will be announced in the coming weeks.
ENDS