A recent report by Accenture reveals that a significant majority of Irish business leaders foresee transformative impacts on their businesses due to the evolution of generative artificial intelligence and chatbots.
The report titled ‘Technology Vision 2024’ indicated that 99% of Irish executives are bullish about the humanisation of technology broadening horizons for all sectors. Furthermore, 97% acknowledged the growing shift of AI capabilities, from merely aiding to functioning autonomously.
Approximately 40% predicted that such technological advancements would drive radical changes within organisations. A staggering 99% of the business leaders agreed that these digital trends would compel their companies to modernise technology infrastructure and envisage AI delegates collaborating to perform organisational duties.
Accenture Ireland’s Technology Chief, Austin Boyle, praised the growing recognition amongst Irish enterprises of AI becoming progressively human-centric. To fully exploit the emerging breed of innovative technologies, Boyle encourages complete cloud integration. He stressed that data serves as the lifeblood for AI, and an improper data management can impede its effective functioning. “There is considerable work needed to set the digital core right, which includes embracing the cloud.”
Despite progress in leveraging artificial intelligence and generative AI, Irish firms lag behind in adopting cutting-edge technologies like spatial computing, which merges digital content with the tangible world, and body sensing technologies. The report showed that 84% of Irish executives believe that spatial computing could offer a viable alternative or boost to in-person experiences, trailing the global average of 92%.
Companies could face challenges in convincing customers about the benefits of these technologies. A mere 36% of consumers expressed interest in utilising spatial computing to acquire new skills while below 30% said they might use it for shopping.
Ethical dilemmas also came to the fore with 66% of consumers suggesting that businesses should formulate responsible regulations on biometric privacy and neurotech ethics and standards in order to establish faith amongst the consumer base.
Mr Boyle emphasised the urgent necessity for Irish firms to accelerate their shift towards a digital-centric approach and harness the power of cloud technology. Although this may seem rudimentary, he admitted that there has been some delay in adopting such advancements. However, he noted this trend is changing rapidly as companies understand the indispensable value of being cloud-based for benefiting from data processing and computational capabilities and utilising the cutting-edge AI tools available.
The report named ‘Accenture’s Technology Vision 2024: Human by Design: How AI Unleashes the Next Level of Human Potential’ covered a widespread investigation across two dozen nations and 21 sectors. It involved interviewing 100 top-level executives from Ireland, in addition to 1,000 consumers for a comprehensive insight into the industry.