Small and medium-sized businesses in Northern Ireland could gain an edge over larger rivals by adopting artificial intelligence more quickly, speakers told a Belfast tech event.
At the latest AICON After Hours event, hosted by Danske Bank, industry leaders said smaller firms are often better placed to take advantage of AI because they are not tied to legacy systems or long decision-making processes.
Speakers said the biggest impact of AI is not just efficiency, but how businesses think and make decisions, with leading firms using it to test ideas and challenge assumptions.
The event, Practical AI for Smarter Business, brought together tech leaders and business owners to share practical examples of how AI is already changing the way companies operate.
Speakers included Sofie Holm Stenstrop, Danske Bank’s Head of GenAI Journey & Innovation; Seamus McAteer, CEO of Speechlab; Jamie Thompson, CTO at Business Simulations; and Jordan Vincent and Tadgh Hickey from the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC).
Seamus McAteer said SMEs have a clear opportunity to move faster than larger organisations. “Big companies often can’t move quickly because they’re tied into existing systems, investments and long contracts,” he said. “Smaller businesses don’t have those barriers. They can build AI into how they work from the start, rather than bolting it on as an afterthought.”
“With 89% of businesses here classed as SMEs, Northern Ireland is well placed to become an incubator for AI-native software designed for smaller firms.”
Jamie Thompson shared how AI has changed his own business. “What used to take us six months can now be done in six weeks,” he said. “That means we can build more tailored solutions for customers and take on bigger opportunities. This shift has dramatically expanded our business potential and had a real impact on how fast we can grow.”
Sofie Holm Stenstrop outlined how Danske Bank is using AI across its operations, including in lending and customer processes: “AI is raising the bar for customer experience across every sector, including banking,” she said. “At Danske Bank, we are embedding AI into core banking workflows, including credit and operations, to give colleagues better insight, reduce friction and make work easier to navigate. The goal is to build and scale responsible AI in ways that support better decisions for customers, while keeping human judgement at the centre where it matters most.”
AICON After-Hours is a series of evening events supported by Danske Bank, Deloitte and Kainos, bringing together people working in AI, technology and innovation.
AICON is Ireland’s premier AI conference, now in its eighth year. AICON Belfast 2026 will take place at the ICC Belfast on Wednesday the 23rd of September, curated by Kainos and supported by Danske Bank, Matrix, Allstate, Options Technology and the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC). Visit AICON to learn more.