AI at Work: Practical Skills for Business
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Three hands-on sessions to help you start using AI effectively in your business
AI at Work: Practical Skills for Business is a practical, in-person series for business owners, managers and employees who want to understand how AI can support their everyday work.
Delivered across three sessions, the series focuses on real business tasks rather than technical theory. Participants will explore the AI tools currently available, learn how to produce useful and reliable outputs, and develop a realistic plan for embedding AI into their work.
No technical background or previous AI experience is required. Each session includes live demonstrations, practical examples and dedicated time to work on your own task with guidance and support.
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**Places are limited to 40 participants, so please register early to secure your place
 Dates
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- 12 October – 09:30–12:30 – DCU Business School, third floor
- 3 November – 09:30–12:30 – DCU Business School, third floor
- 23 November – 09:30–12:30 – DCU Business School, third floor
Who should attend?
The series is suitable for:
- Business owners and managers exploring how AI could support their organisation
- Employees interested in using AI to work more effectively
- Small-business teams whose members manage several different responsibilities
- Teams or departments within larger organisations
- Anyone who is curious about AI but has not yet had the time or guidance to begin using it confidently
Participants should bring a laptop and, where possible, a real work-related task they would like to explore.
Programme format
The programme consists of three in-person sessions, each lasting three hours and including a break. Sessions give participants time to apply what they have learned between workshops.
The sessions are designed to build on one another, and attending the full series is recommended. However, each workshop can also be attended as a standalone session and provides participants with a complete, practical resource to take back to their workplace.
Places are limited to 40 participants to ensure everyone has an opportunity to receive support during the practical activities. Access to free AI tools will be provided during each session; the use of paid tools is entirely optional.
Session 1: Building Your AI Toolkit
Which AI tools should you use, what do they cost and what can they realistically do for your business?
This session introduces the most useful AI tools currently available and explains what each is best suited to. Participants will compare tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini, alongside selected writing, administration and automation tools.
Through practical demonstrations and examples, you will learn:
- Which AI tools are most relevant to your work
- What is available for free and when a paid tool may be worthwhile
- Which everyday tasks AI can support
- Where AI may not provide value
- How to protect sensitive and confidential information
- How to identify inaccurate or unsuitable AI-generated content
During the session, you will select a real task from your work and test it using a free AI tool.
What you will take away: An AI Starter Sheet identifying the tools you want to explore, the first task you will use them for and the key risks to avoid.
Session 2: Using AI on a Real Task
How can you use AI effectively and ensure the result sounds like you?
This hands-on session will help you develop a repeatable approach to using AI for a genuine workplace task. You will learn how to replace vague, one-line requests with clear briefs that generate stronger and more relevant results.
The session will cover:
- How to give AI clear instructions and context
- How to improve weak or generic AI-generated content
- How to retain your own tone, expertise and examples
- How to check outputs for errors or invented information
- How to avoid sharing sensitive information
- How to turn a successful approach into a reusable prompt, process or template
You will work on your selected task from beginning to end, drafting, reviewing and refining the output until it is ready to use.
What you will take away: A reusable AI Task Recipe containing the steps, instructions and checks needed to complete one workplace task with AI.
Session 3: Making AI Part of How You Work
How can you move from experimenting with AI to using it consistently, safely and cost-effectively?
The final session focuses on integrating AI into the day-to-day work of a business or team. It will help participants identify where AI can deliver genuine value while managing data, quality and cost appropriately.
You will explore:
- How to decide whether a task is suitable for regular AI use
- How to assess potential time savings and business value
- Practical rules for handling customer, client and business information
- The essential checks needed before using an AI-generated output
- What organisations need to know about emerging EU rules
- How to evaluate whether a paid AI tool is worth the investment
- How to introduce an AI-supported process to colleagues or team members
During the session, you will develop a realistic four-week implementation plan.
What you will take away: A one-page AI Action Plan setting out the task, tool, potential cost, people involved and measures of success for your first month.
What you will gain
By the end of the series, you will have:
- A clearer understanding of the AI tools available
- Practical experience using AI for a real workplace task
- A repeatable process for producing and checking AI-assisted work
- Greater confidence in using AI safely and responsibly
- A focused plan for applying AI within your business or team
Registration now Closed
Join Waiting List here
**Places are limited to 40 participants, so please register early to secure your place
