Free Resource
AI Glossary for Irish Business Owners
Plain-English explanations of AI and technology terms — written for business owners, not tech experts. No jargon, no fluff. Just what you need to know.
Basics
AI (Artificial Intelligence)AI stands for Artificial Intelligence.AI HallucinationHallucination is when an AI tool confidently gives you information that sounds right but is completely made up.Cloud SoftwareCloud software is software you access through the internet, rather than installing on your computer.Generative AIGenerative AI is a type of AI that can create new content — text, images, audio, or video — based on instructions you give it.LLM (Large Language Model)LLM stands for Large Language Model.Machine LearningMachine learning is the technology that allows computers to learn from data and get better at tasks over time, without being explicitly programmed for every situation.Natural Language Processing (NLP)Natural language processing, or NLP, is the branch of AI that enables computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language.PromptA prompt is the instruction or question you type into an AI tool like ChatGPT.Prompt EngineeringPrompt engineering means writing clear, specific instructions for AI tools to get better results.SaaS (Software as a Service)SaaS stands for Software as a Service.
Tools
AI AssistantAn AI assistant is a software tool you can chat with or give instructions to, and it helps you get things done — writing emails, answering questions, summarising documents, or planning your week.Canva AICanva is a free design tool that makes it easy to create professional-looking graphics, social media posts, menus, flyers, and presentations without any design skills.ChatGPTChatGPT is an AI tool made by a company called OpenAI.CRM (Customer Relationship Management)A CRM is software that helps you keep track of your customers, leads, and interactions all in one place.EcommerceEcommerce — short for electronic commerce — simply means selling products or services online instead of (or as well as) in a physical shop.Google AnalyticsGoogle Analytics is a free tool from Google that tells you what's happening on your website — how many people visited, where they came from, which pages they read, and how many left without doing anything.Google GeminiGoogle Gemini is Google's AI assistant, similar to ChatGPT.Invoicing SoftwareInvoicing software lets you create, send, and track invoices from your computer or phone — replacing handwritten or basic Word document invoices.Knowledge BaseA knowledge base is a structured collection of information — FAQs, policies, product details, how-to guides — that an AI or chatbot uses to answer questions accurately.Make (formerly Integromat)Make (previously called Integromat) is a tool similar to Zapier that connects different apps and automates tasks between them.Microsoft CopilotMicrosoft Copilot is Microsoft's AI assistant, built into Microsoft 365 products like Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.No-Code ToolsNo-code tools let you build apps, automations, and workflows without writing a single line of computer code.Sentiment AnalysisSentiment analysis is an AI technique that reads text — like customer reviews, emails, or social media comments — and determines whether the tone is positive, negative, or neutral.Social Media SchedulingSocial media scheduling tools let you write your posts in advance and schedule them to go live automatically at the best times — without you having to be online at that moment.Voice AssistantA voice assistant is an AI tool you interact with by speaking rather than typing.ZapierZapier is a tool that connects different apps and software together so they can talk to each other automatically.
Operations
AutomationAutomation means setting up a system to do a task automatically, without you having to do it manually each time.Cloud BackupCloud backup is the automatic saving of your business data — files, customer records, emails, financial data — to a secure remote server over the internet.CybersecurityCybersecurity is the practice of protecting your business's computers, data, and online accounts from attacks and unauthorised access.PhishingPhishing is when criminals send fake emails, texts, or messages pretending to be a trusted organisation — like your bank, Revenue, or a supplier — to trick you into handing over passwords, payment details, or money.WorkflowA workflow is a sequence of steps that gets a task done — from start to finish.
Customer Service
ChatbotA chatbot is a piece of software that automatically answers customer questions on your website or social media.Customer FeedbackCustomer feedback is information you collect from customers about their experience with your product or service.Helpdesk SoftwareHelpdesk software is a tool that organises customer queries into a central inbox, tracks whether each issue has been resolved, and lets your team respond consistently.Live ChatLive chat is a tool that lets customers send messages to your business directly from your website and get a reply in real time.
Legal & Compliance
AI PolicyAn AI policy is a short document that explains how your business uses AI tools.ComplianceCompliance means following the rules and regulations that apply to your business — things like GDPR for data, the EU AI Act for AI tools, employment law, or health and safety requirements.Data ProtectionData protection is the legal and practical responsibility to keep personal information safe and use it only for the purposes you collected it for.EU AI ActThe EU AI Act is a new European law that regulates how AI can be used.GDPRGDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation.Privacy PolicyA privacy policy is the statement on your website or app that tells visitors what personal data you collect, why you collect it, who you share it with, and how they can exercise their rights.
Irish Business
Boost for BusinessBoost for Business is an online portal run by Enterprise Ireland that helps Irish businesses find and apply for government supports, grants, and programmes.Digital GrantA digital grant is funding provided by a government body to help small businesses adopt digital tools and technology.Enterprise IrelandEnterprise Ireland is the Irish government agency that supports businesses to start, grow, and export.LEO (Local Enterprise Office)LEO stands for Local Enterprise Office.Revenue CommissionersRevenue Commissioners (commonly called Revenue) is the Irish government body responsible for tax collection and customs.ROS (Revenue Online Service)ROS is the online portal used by Irish businesses and sole traders to file tax returns, pay taxes, and manage their tax affairs with Revenue.Trading Online VoucherThe Trading Online Voucher (TOV) is one of the most popular and accessible government grants available to small Irish businesses.
Strategy
Conversion RateConversion rate is the percentage of website visitors (or leads) who take a desired action — such as making a purchase, booking an appointment, or signing up to your email list.Customer PersonaA customer persona is a fictional profile that represents your ideal customer — their job, age, goals, frustrations, and buying behaviour.Digital MarketingDigital marketing is any marketing you do online — social media posts, paid ads on Google or Facebook, email newsletters, your website, and search engine optimisation.Digital TransformationDigital transformation means using digital technology to improve or change how your business operates.Email MarketingEmail marketing means sending regular emails to your customers or subscribers — things like newsletters, promotions, new product announcements, or seasonal offers.SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation.Upselling & Cross-sellingUpselling is encouraging a customer to buy a more expensive version of what they are already buying.
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