PwC Ireland opens new generative AI centre to boost adoption of technology

PwC Ireland, in collaboration with Microsoft, is opening a new generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) business centre in a bid to boost adoption of the new technology.

The professional services firm said the centre, located at the group’s Irish headquarters on Dublin’s North Wall Quay, would drive “the necessary investment returns in a safe and secure way”.

The technology had “the potential to transform industries by automating tasks, revolutionising problem-solving, and creating new opportunities”, it said.

PwC earlier this year invested over €1 billion globally through its alliance with Microsoft to expand and scale AI and drive human-led, tech-powered transformation.

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The announcement of the new Irish unit came in parallel with a new PwC survey, which suggested the adoption of AI and GenAI in Ireland was slow by international standards.

The survey of business leaders here found fewer than one in 10 (7 per cent) have rolled out AI on a large scale in their organisations. This compares to 26 per cent in a previous PwC survey carried out among US business executives, the consultancy said.

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Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of Irish business leaders admitted they have no plans to use GenAI, such as OpenAI’s GPT models, in the year ahead. Some 61 per cent, however, said that they are either considering adopting AI or are using it to a limited extent.

Referring to the announcement of the new centre, managing partner of PwC Ireland Enda McDonagh said: “This is a very important investment by PwC Ireland which we believe will deliver a generational leap forward in the way we deliver our work and [it] aligns with our strategy to be at the forefront of technology-enabled change.

“This strategic collaboration with Microsoft will allow us to harness the power of generative AI in a secure and responsible way to build trust and drive sustained outcomes for clients.”