As part of the initiative, Irish SMEs will gain access to ‘frontier AI technology’, live workshops and mentoring.
Artificial intelligence (AI) giant OpenAI has today (14 November) announced a new initiative focused on supporting AI skills and SME growth in Ireland.
The ‘OpenAI for Ireland’ framework will see the company partner with the Irish Government, start-up hub Dogpatch Labs and young entrepreneurs programme Patch to support local AI capabilities.
As part of the framework, OpenAI and the Department for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment will launch an ‘SME Booster’ programme. The programme, which will launch next year, will give Irish SMEs access to “frontier AI technology”, live workshops and mentoring to learn “how AI can help reduce costs, improve productivity and grow their business”, according to the Government.
“Technology is a critical component of the Irish economic success story,” said Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, TD. “Industry and Government must work together, helping businesses to navigate this period of rapid technological change and to take advantage of the opportunities.
“I commend OpenAI on their initiatives to build our start-ups’ capabilities and strengths in advanced technologies, which will drive investment, job and wealth creation.”
Free SME online training will also be provided after the programme through the OpenAI Academy and will be supplemented with specialised AI literacy training.
Meanwhile, the ChatGPT creator – which launched GPT-5.1 yesterday – has also partnered with Dogpatch Labs to enable early-stage founders and entrepreneurs to integrate AI into their products and workflows. Founders will have access to practical workshops and hands-on sessions, as well as OpenAI’s experts and tools.
Lastly, OpenAI has entered into a three-year partnership with Patch – which caters to budding entrepreneurs aged 16 to 21 – to grow the organisation’s summer programme, offer fellowships, finance grants and mentoring, so that more “young builders” can learn to code, prototype and develop early-stage AI products.
“Ireland has deep talent, from young builders to experienced entrepreneurs,” said Jason Kwon, chief strategy officer at OpenAI. “With over 1m people here using ChatGPT, we want to help people use AI to grow their businesses, compete globally and build the next generation of innovative products.”
Today’s announcement is OpenAI’s latest effort to grow its presence in Ireland.
In September 2023, the company opened an office in Dublin to expand in Ireland and the European market.
In January 2024, OpenAI listed its Irish entity as the data controller for customers that live in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. A month later, the company announced a partnership with Dublin City Council to leverage AI in support of tourism.
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