Waterford City and County Libraries Central Library hosted an Age-Friendly AI training workshop today, with a great turnout and high engagement during the session.

On the day, we explored what Artificial Intelligence (AI) is, where it can be found in everyday life, and what to look out for when using it. We had wide-ranging conversations with participants about the impact of AI in many areas of life, for example, influencing how we communicate and do our shopping.

We were delighted to welcome 25 participants to the training session today. The event kick-started with an inspiring welcome from Lucy Hederman, followed by an interactive presentation delivered by Damon Berry. Participants had the opportunity to get familiar with Artificial Intelligence and where it can be found in daily life, along with an Age-Friendly AI Worksheet that could be taken home as a summary of the training session. Participants raised particular interest in being able to spot AI in images and text online. One participant mentioned the challenge of using AI in educational settings and what it means for the learning experience.

This Age-Friendly AI Training Programme has been developed with and for older adults, building on conversations held across Ireland throughout 2025. These discussions explored people’s hopes, concerns, and ideas about AI, helping shape training content that directly reflects people’s experiences and interests.

The fantastic enthusiasm and thoughtful insights shared by the participants are invaluable and help inform the project as it is being rolled out nationwide through public libraries.

A huge thank you to the Waterford City and County Libraries Central Library for hosting the event and to everyone who joined us and contributed to the lively discussions today.