How do you choose an AI literacy training provider?
Choose the provider that asks about your AI tools and your roles before it quotes, knows the July 2026 version of Article 4, and leaves you with a written record explaining why each group got the depth it did. Be wary of anyone who sells a certificate as proof of compliance or a test as a legal requirement, because the Commission says neither is needed. Everything else, from format to price, follows from those three things.
We are a training provider, so read this with that in mind. The questions below are the ones we would want a buyer to ask us, and they work just as well against us as against anyone else.
What should you look for in an AI literacy trainer?
Look for someone who does the analysis before the training, can teach adults, and uses AI in real work. Article 4 asks you to take measures calibrated to the technical knowledge, experience, education and training of your people and to the context the systems are used in. A trainer who cannot find out those things before the session cannot calibrate anything, however good the slides are. In practice that comes down to seven things.
- They start from your tool inventory. Before quoting, they ask which AI tools your people use, including features switched on inside software you already bought, and which roles use them. A fixed per-head price with no questions is a library course.
- They are current on the law. Article 4 was rewritten from 27 July 2026 by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744. The duty is now to take measures that support AI literacy, and the text says you do not have to guarantee any particular level for any individual. A provider still selling against the old wording has not read the new one.
- They calibrate by role. People who draft emails with a chatbot need a different session from the people who configure a screening feature or sign off on a vendor. Ask how the depth will differ between groups.
- They leave a record, not just a certificate. The Commission says no certificate is required and that an internal record of the training and guidance is what organisations can keep. The record should say what was covered, who attended, when, and why that depth suited those roles.
- They can teach. Knowing AI and running a good session for forty sceptical adults are different skills. In Ireland, a QQI Level 6 award in training delivery is a common baseline; years of delivering to mixed audiences is the other half.
- They use AI in their own work. A trainer who uses these tools every day can show the failure modes live, with your kind of task, rather than describe them from a slide.
- They are named. You should know who will stand in the room or run the call, and be able to look them up.
Should you hire an individual trainer, a training company or an e-learning platform?
It depends on how many roles you have and how different their tools are. For most Irish organisations with a handful of distinct roles, a small team of named trainers who will do the inventory with you is the best fit. A large e-learning library suits a baseline for thousands of people but cannot do the calibration step on its own, and a law firm suits the legal analysis but rarely the hands-on session.
| Independent trainer | Small training company | E-learning library | Law firm or consultancy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calibrated to your tools and roles | Yes, if they do the inventory | Yes, if they do the inventory | Rarely; content is the same for every customer | Often on the legal side, less on the tools |
| Who delivers | The person you spoke to | Named trainers, ask which | Nobody live | Often a junior, ask which |
| Hands-on with the tools your people use | Usually | Usually | No | Sometimes |
| Record of why each group got that depth | Ask | Ask | Completion log only | Often strong |
| Scales to thousands of learners | No | With planning | Yes | No |
| Cover if the trainer is ill | Limited | Better | Not applicable | Good |
None of these is wrong in itself. A library course plus a live, calibrated session for the people who configure and oversee AI is a reasonable combination for a large organisation. What fails is the library course alone, assigned to everyone, with a completion tick as the only evidence.
What are the red flags when buying AI literacy training?
The biggest red flag is a provider selling certainty the law does not offer: a certificate that "makes you compliant", an accreditation that does not exist, or a pass mark presented as a legal requirement. The AI Act sets up no accreditation scheme for AI literacy trainers, and the Commission's Q&A says Article 4 does not entail an obligation to measure employees' knowledge of AI. Other warning signs:
- "Certified" or "accredited" training for Article 4. A certificate of attendance is useful to the person who attended. It is not evidence that your organisation met a duty; the record of the measure is.
- Fear-led selling. Countdown timers, headline fine figures and "enforcement starts next week" emails. Article 99 sets no EU-level fine for Article 4 on its own, and Irish supervision is proportionate and case by case.
- The same deck for every client. Ask to see how the last session was adapted. If nothing changed between a credit union and a marketing agency, nothing will change for you.
- No questions about your tools. A quote that arrives before anyone has asked what you use.
- A test with a pass mark sold as mandatory. Quizzes can help people learn. They are not what the law asks for.
- Prompt tricks and product tours. Useful for productivity, but they are not the risk awareness Article 4 describes, and they date quickly.
What questions should you ask before you book?
Ask questions that make the provider show their method. The table below gives a question, what a good answer sounds like, and what should make you pause. You can use it on a first call with any provider, including us.
| Ask | A good answer | A warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| What do you need from us before the session? | A list of AI tools in use, which roles use them, and any that screen, score or rank people | "Just the headcount and a date" |
| Which version of Article 4 is your content built on? | The text as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, in force from 27 July 2026 | Talk of ensuring a particular level of literacy for every employee |
| How will the depth differ between roles? | A plan for a baseline group and a deeper group for people who configure, oversee or buy AI | One session for everyone, no exceptions |
| What do we have at the end? | A written record: content, attendance, dates and the reasons for the depth chosen | "Everyone gets a certificate" and nothing else |
| Who exactly will deliver it? | A named trainer you can look up | "One of our associates" |
| Will you use our examples? | Yes, with the tools your people actually open, and with examples from your sector | Generic demos only |
| Where will our attendee and tool data be held? | In the EU, with a stated retention period and a named contact | No answer, or a shrug |
| What happens after the session? | A review date, a follow-up for new starters and tool changes | Nothing, or an upsell to a subscription |
What drives the price of AI literacy training?
The price mostly follows how many distinct roles you have, how much preparation the provider does, and whether you want an acceptable-use policy drafted as part of the work. Headcount matters less than you might expect, because the expensive part of calibrated training is the analysis and the tailoring, not the extra chairs. Compare quotes on what is included, not the day rate.
Things that legitimately change the price:
- Preparation: an inventory review and pre-session calls with the people who configure your tools
- The number of separate groups that need different depth
- In person or online, and travel for sites outside the trainer's base
- Deliverables: a written record, a mapped tool inventory, a draft or signed-off acceptable-use policy
- Follow-up sessions for new starters and for tools that change
If budget is tight, check whether a Skillnet Ireland network in your sector subsidises training of this kind for member companies, and consider a live session for the people with the most exposure plus a shorter baseline for everyone else.
How we answer these questions
Our trainers are named, with their qualifications, on the trainers section. Every workshop starts from your tool inventory, runs online or in person in Ireland, and leaves you with the record written for you; you can see a redacted sample record before you speak to us.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, the AI Act, Article 4, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, the Digital Omnibus on AI.
- European Commission, AI literacy: questions and answers, the answers on certificates, on measuring employees' knowledge and on the four-step approach.
- Skillnet Ireland, for sector training networks and subsidised training.
This is general information about the EU AI Act, not legal advice. Enforcement is proportionate and case by case, and your sectoral regulator may issue guidance that applies to you.
