Irish businesses are yet to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) tools and systems at a scale large enough to create significant value for their organisations, a new KPMG study has indicated, despite eagerness among senior leaders to adopt the technology.
Based on a survey of 2,450 executives, from 26 countries including Ireland, the accounting firm’s latest Global Tech Report was published late last month.
The report found that the vast majority of the 70 executives surveyed in the Republic have identified use and value cases for AI technologies but only about a quarter have been able to implement the fast-moving technology at scale.
Many companies will have already been using tools and systems based on technologies that were precursors to the current generation of tools or are ones that are now being given the AI label.
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“People have been using more advanced analytics at an increasing pace over the past 10 to 15 years,” said Rory Timlin, partner and AI practice lead at KPMG Ireland. “A surprisingly small proportion of that is people using machine learning but that has been on the rise for the past 10 years.”
Businesses in the Republic are typically rolling out easy-to-use products on the consumer side because the barriers to access for companies are lower. “But easy to access doesn’t mean easy to scale and that’s why you’re seeing that dichotomy emerging,” Mr Timlin said.
It is also an open question whether the current generation of AI tools – particularly generative AI products such as ChatGPT – are improving productivity or creating more work for middle managers.
Recent research from jobs search platform IrishJobs revealed an almost even split between senior company leaders and recruiters who say AI is making their job easier and those who believe it is making the recruitment process more difficult.
An equal proportion of Irish executives polled by KPMG – 70 per cent – said the technology was improving productivity for knowledge-based workers within their organisations but was also fuelling anxiety within the workforce due to its complexity.
Mr Timlin said KPMG’s survey does point to a “top-down” push to adopt AI within companies in the Republic but one that is driven by “the belief that there is growth and efficiency in AI”.
He said executives need to be open and transparent with their employees around the technology to “demystify” it and build trust.
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