This week we delve into Amazon's substantial Irish footprint and ask why the new local website is good for techies. We also look at how AI systems like Perplexity have 'unlocked' the conspiracy behind the assassination of JFK, Plus we find out more about Alphabet's record-breaking €32 billion acquisition of security provider Wiz.

Rant show: A trip down the Amazon.ie

This week, Microsoft dropped an emergency patch for a vulnerability in Sharepoint that Chinese hackers have been exploiting since 7 July. Plus, now age verification is here how are social media platforms making sure users are of age?
Lastly, we learn about EdTips, a push to bring science, technology and engineering into primary schools with Keith Nolan from TU Dublin.

Microsoft’s Sharepoint patchwork and Keith Nolan from TU Dublin on EdTips

Ireland is facing a housing crisis, and yet countless buildings sit empty and unused. 

In this episode of Adapt Radio, Dr. Clare O’Connell speaks with Dr. Philip Crowe and Milo Dennehy from University College Dublin about a bold, AI-driven project to map and tackle building vacancy across the country. 

Discover why data on empty buildings is so patchy, how new tech could unlock hidden opportunities for homes and communities, and why solving this puzzle means more than just better spreadsheets. 

From town centre revitalisation to the surprising power of open data, this conversation explores how AI might help Ireland turn vacancy into vibrant possibility.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

●	Why Ireland’s empty buildings are so hard to track
●	How AI and data science are changing the vacancy game
●	The challenges, and surprises, of sharing property data
●	What Ireland can learn from France, Philadelphia, and beyond
●	Transforming vacant spaces into vibrant communities


GUEST DETAILS

Dr Philip Crowe is UCD Assistant Professor for Climate Responsive Design at the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy (APEP) and the School of Civil Engineering.

He is the Director of Research at UCD APEP, co-director of the UCD Centre for Irish Towns, and Programme Director of the MSc in Architecture, Urbanism and Climate Action. Philip teaches in areas relating to carbon management, sustainability, urban resilience and urban ethics. 

As a researcher, he is working on a range of EU and nationally funded projects relating to town revitalisation, vacancy and adaptive reuse, compact urban growth, and citizen participation in processes of change. Philip’s background is in architecture, and he was previously Director of Sustainable Design at M.CO (Dublin) from 2003-2012.

Milo Dennehy is a Research Assistant in the School of Computer Science. Milo is a current student in the BSc City Planning and Environmental Policy programme, set to graduate in 2025. Before joining Building Stories, Milo was a research assistant in the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy at UCD. His research interests are in building geospatial tools that leverage machine learning and remote sensing techniques to enhance capacity and reduce the barriers to access to geospatial technology for local actors.


MORE INFORMATION

You can learn more about your AI Literacy in the Classroom here: https://ai-literacy-in-the-classroom.adaptcentre.ie/ 

Adapt Radio is produced by DustPod.io for the Adapt Centre
For more information about ADAPT visit www.adaptcentre.ie/  


QUOTES

We don’t actually know what we’re dealing with—how do you manage your built environment without reliable, dynamic data? – Dr Philip Crowe

It shocked me how much decision-making still relies on throwing darts at the map and manual guesswork – Milo Dennehy

If you aggregate all these data sets together, you’ve got something incredibly powerful to solve the housing crisis –  Dr Philip Crowe

AI lets us see what’s missing in the data—and predict what’s possible for Ireland’s empty buildings. – Milo Dennehy

The real challenge isn’t technical—it’s about building trust and a culture of sharing data for the public good. – Dr Philip Crowe


KEYWORDS

#AI #VacantBuildings #IrelandHousing #DataScience #UrbanRevitalisation #SmartCities #OpenData #HousingCrisis #PropertyData #CommunityImpact #TownCentres #DataGovernance #SustainableCities #Innovation #TechForGood

Vacant No More: AI and the Future of Irish Buildings

We often talk about the work people won’t have to do thanks to technologies like automation and AI. However, there are plenty of jobs out there that people shouldn’t be doing in the first place. This week Niall Kitson is joined by Anybotics' senior product manager and Swiss chapter co-lead of Women in Robotics Kateryna Portmann, and technical project manager for Verity Nazrin Aliyeva to talk about the state of the art.

Kateryna Portmann and Nazrin Aliyeva on new directions in robotics

In this episode we look at the many shapes of artificial intelligence, from companies that don’t love us back, to optiistic valuations, and Accenture head of technology in Ireland Austin Boyle shares his thoughts on how AI agents have yet to fulfill their promise. Finally, as Pac-Man turns 45 Niall and Dusty revisit the golden age of arcade games.

Accenture’s Austin Boyle on agentic AI and beyond

This week Google drops a new series of devices including Pixel phones, watches and true wireless ear buds.
Plus, we find out more about AI and the science of longevity with our special guest Kennedy Schaal, CEO & founder of Rejuve.

Google gets smarter with the Pixel 10 and Rejuv's Kennedy Schaal on longevity

This week we look at the role of AI in the tragic death of an American teen and Nvidia’s financials continue to impress.
Later, Orivium’s Emma Clarke talks about her company’s method of extracting and reusing rare earth materials to give new life to devices beyond repair.

Artificial intelligence and a real tragedy, and Orivium's Emma Clarke

Ireland just made space history with its first satellite successfully completing its mission and de-orbiting as we speak. We find out more about some of the serious science it pulled off including gamma-ray burst detection and advanced satellite control systems that would make Nasa jealous.
Elsewhere, we discover why Google’s latest multi million dollar privacy slap actually matters to you and we dig as far as we can into a spyware story involving the Garda Siochana and an Israeli spy firm.
Plus, researchers from Dublin City University, Dawood University in Pakistan, and Munster Technological University are working on an AI content moderation tool designed to protect children from grooming online. We get the lowdown on EdgeAIGuard with DCU project lead Dr Sunder Ali Khowaja.

Eirsat-1 de-orbits and DCU's Dr Sunder Ali Khowaja on protecting children with AI

Apple launched the iPhone Air this week which has Niall and Dusty somewhat excited. We look at all the angles including the new ‘regular’ iPhones, a new Apple Watch and a gaping hole with AirPods. There is also news on the government snooping on your encrypted chats and a Revolut challenger is coming to Ireland. Plus, we get some fascinating insights into the global femtech industry with Dr Tanya Mulcahy, director of Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI). 

Apple full of chat with the iPhone Air and HIHI's Dr Tanya Mulcahy on femtech

This week Meta once again tries to make AR glasses happen, TikTok finally has a buyer in the US and Apple finally embraces touch screens in a laptop. We also talk with IBM’s Elaine Hanley about the state of cyber security in the age of AI.

IBM's Elaine Hanley on cyber security in 2025

Technology news from Ireland to the world

Rant show: A trip down the Amazon.ie

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