Martin Cuneen lecturing
Friday, 21 February 2025

KBS Meet the Researcher: Martin Cuneen

My name is Dr Martin Cunneen—I am an Associate Professor in Data Analytics and Risk Governance at the Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick; my research is focused on AI and how the business of AI transforms the science of AI into products and services that largely define how AI is designed, deployed and used in the world. I believe my research is very important because we are moving into an AI ERA where AI will be used in law enforcement, hiring, taxation, education and our lives. Therefore, we need to make sure that AI is used to support social good and to do so in a way that also aligns with hard-won human rights such as privacy. I am the lead of the University of Limerick AI‑ERA (Ethics, Regulation and Accountability) Research Group, the KBS AI and XR Living Lab and the Director of both the MSc in Machine Learning for Finance and the Graduate Diploma in Artificial Intelligence in Finance. For many years now, my AI research has been on the promise and perils of AI. My job is to investigate the socio-economic opportunities and risks of AI. To develop new knowledge and understanding that can support better AI design, development and deployment decisions, enabling governments, industry and citizens to access the benefits of AI in a more informed manner that also empowers them to understand and mitigate the risks. This is a big responsibility, so my strategy has been to win Horizon Europe and Research Ireland funding to build a team of researchers who can focus on this challenge to make AI work better for society, business and citizens.

Funding and My Research Projects

I have won 1.2 million euros in funding in the past year across three projects that share a common goal to confront the challenge of transforming advanced technologies such as AI and Extended reality into socially valuable technologies. In particular, the funding has enabled me to recruit a team of researchers consisting of legal scholars, industry experts in technology governance, business analysts, and experts in AI to work together to innovate how we understand and develop governance strategies for AI and other advanced technologies.  A big part of the funding is on a Horizon Europe project called the XTREME project. It focuses on developing new innovative technological solutions to create extended reality and mixed reality environments for art and culture experiences. My team’s research contribution is about making extended reality trustworthy, and we are doing this in an interesting way by assessing the feasibility of extended reality and mixed reality environments that can offer positive health benefits for people who have Dementia and Alzheimer’s. This focus also speaks to Motiverse-P, another funded project that assesses the feasibility of extended reality and AI providing benefits for people with Parkinsons’ illness. We will also investigate how the immersive experience of high-fidelity real-world life mixed reality can help people engage with complex social matters and how Mixed reality can become a powerful tool for learning and education. This speaks my new AI-Minds project starting in 2025, which focuses on creating AI minds in mixed reality that will bring famous thinkers from history to life in mixed reality. The unique value here is that the real-life representations are built on sophisticated AI models. People could sit and talk with Einstein and ask him about particular ideas and parts of his work. Potentially, if we have enough data, we can recreate any historic thinker to come to life in the classroom or sit with you at home to help people learn in a more natural dialogue form of engagement. The potential is fantastic.

 

The Importance of AI and Academic Research, Research-Led Teaching

My work not only focuses on carrying out innovative research on AI but also focuses on transforming this research into insights across my research‐led teaching to inform industry and governments, from surgeons to revenue Ireland. I teach professionals to leverage AI and understand the complex of AI benefits and risks. The overarching goal of my research and my team is to help citizens, industries and governments to understand AI. Over the past several years, I’ve had the privilege of leading the development of our National AI MSc program—a program designed to equip the next generation of technology professionals with the skills and critical understanding needed to navigate the complexities of AI. Every day, I see the impact of teaching thousands of professionals important AI governance skills that ensure technology serves society in a fair and transparent manner. As Course Director of the MSc in Machine Learning for Finance and the Graduate Diploma in Artificial Intelligence in Finance, I work closely with industry leaders and academics to design curricula that blend rigorous technical training with a deep understanding of ethical, regulatory, and societal implications. This dual focus is vital: while technical expertise drives innovation, it is the principles of governance and ethical practice that ensure these innovations benefit everyone and do not inadvertently create harm. My teaching and research are intertwined—each class, each discussion, and each research project contributes to a broader conversation on how AI can be developed responsibly. This commitment to academic excellence and societal impact is at the heart of our efforts to cultivate a generation of leaders who are not only skilled in AI but are also champions of its ethical application. My work extends beyond the classroom. I am a Research Editor for the prestigious International Journal of AI and Society, and this allows me to support early career academics and researchers to get new ideas out there.

 

The Pressing Importance of AI Governance

At the core of these endeavours lies a fundamental truth: robust AI governance is essential to ensuring that innovation and commercialisation truly serve the interests of citizens, industry, and government alike. As AI continues to expand its influence across all sectors, it brings with it tremendous opportunities—but also significant challenges. Without proper governance, issues like algorithmic bias, opaque decision-making, and privacy concerns can undermine public trust and lead to unintended consequences. The challenge of AI is also a challenge of AI Governance and to innovate how we understand advanced technologies, the commercialisation and control of AI. The important question I communicate to my students is ‘Who gets to decide what AI comes into our world, and ultimately, who gets to decide humanity’s AI future? For me, the answer must be citizen-focused.