Irish Funds Emerging Tech and Innovation Speaker Series – Agentic AI - Navigating Definitions, Adoption & Real World Impact

The Irish Funds Emerging Tech & Innovation Speaker Series opened its 2026 programme with a well-attended event focused on one of the most significant developments in artificial intelligence: the shift from generative AI to agentic AI.

Hosted at Accenture's Dublin offices, the session brought together industry leaders from across financial services to examine how agentic AI is being defined, adopted and applied in real-world settings — and why organisations are moving rapidly from experimentation to execution.

The event commenced with a welcome address from Jade Bannigan of Franklin Templeton and member of the Irish Funds Emerging Tech & Innovation Working Group, who set the tone for an engaging and forward-looking discussion.

An expert keynote from Denis Hannigan, Data & AI Lead – Strategy & Consulting, Accenture then provided an overview of how agentic AI is progressing globally, drawing on recent research and real-world examples. This presentation laid the groundwork for a lively panel discussion featuring Frank Carley (Citco), Abhishek Mandal (BNY), Elaine O'Dwyer (Accenture), Mark O'Connor (Org) and Clare Gillett, (McCann Fitzgerald). Together, they examined what agentic AI means for organisations transitioning from experimentation to real adoption.

Key Themes

• More than Assistance: Agentic AI represents a shift from reactive support tools to systems capable of autonomous decision-making and execution.

• End-to-End Process Reinvention: The technology enables organisations to redesign workflows holistically, rather than applying incremental fixes.

• Data as a Competitive Advantage: Clean, well-governed data — supported by appropriately upskilled teams — will differentiate industry leaders.

• Governance by Design: Guardrails, oversight and monitoring frameworks must be embedded from the outset.

• Portability and IP Protection:Avoiding vendor lock-in and safeguarding intellectual property are critical as AI capabilities scale.

A recurring theme was that while technological capability is advancing rapidly, sustainable value will depend on strong governance, leadership alignment, cross-functional collaboration and responsible deployment.

The discussion underscored that working alongside AI agents may soon become standard practice in Financial Services. Organisations that act now — strengthening data foundations, investing in skills and rethinking operational models — will be best positioned to lead.

Members that missed the event can access the session content via the Member Portal. Just ask Daire, our AI Assistant.