The consideration of opportunities opened by artificial intelligence (AI) is escalating, not least in Ireland. A surge in progress with generative AI is causing shifts in organisational operations, with the capability to revamp many work sectors, fuel noteworthy productivity growth, and uplift employee contentment.
Generative AI, the tech that can fabricate new content such as text, images, audio and beyond, employs natural language prompts. It utilises data to fashion comprehensive language models that identify patterns within the data to generate novel, original content.
As the IDC forecasts a nearly $10 trillion (€9.2 trillion) boost to worldwide GDP courtesy of generative AI over the coming decade, there’s an undeniable effect of AI on enhancing competitiveness. Amid escalating global rivalry, utilising the possibilities of AI will be crucial for the future prosperity of all businesses within Ireland.
According to Kieran McCorry, National Technology Officer at Microsoft Ireland, AI is “a game-changing technology of our era, akin to the invention of the light bulb or the printing press, and will alter and complement the way we work, create and associate”.
He highlighted that although “we’re at the preliminary stages of generative AI’s development”, it was important to comprehend how Irish firms are situated at present. Hence why Trinity College Dublin’s Business School was approached to undertake a nationwide evaluation of readiness for AI transformation across different industries.
In the recent ‘Generative AI in Ireland 2024’ report, jointly launched by Trinity College Dublin and Microsoft Ireland, there’s evidence of an increasing trend towards adopting generative AI solutions in Irish workplaces. The report indicates that 49% have incorporated some form of generative AI within their operations.
While Irish organisations are dipping their toes into the generative AI sphere, the research shows multinational companies are utilising 30% more AI than local firms in Ireland, thus setting a benchmark for technological progression and adoption.
The study points out sectors such as technology, science, and media are ahead of the curve with the highest intended adoption rates. It underscores that 47% of industry heads see technology bolstering productivity, while only 17% hold contrasting beliefs. Moreover, 46% view generative AI as an invaluable instrument in unlocking further opportunities.
In recent months, ESB has been at the helm of the generative AI transformation, collaborating with Microsoft and receiving backing from Accenture. This has placed ESB among the first establishments in Europe to implement Copilot for Microsoft 365, thereby facilitating its nearly 9,000 workers.
The launch of Copilot for Microsoft 365 in November facilitated the adoption of this emerging AI technology amongst 300 ESB personnel. Employees have seen its advantages, such as optimising their focus on demanding activities and promoting knowledge exchange and team work.
Mary O’Connor, ESB’s Head of Information, expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership with Microsoft, praising the potential that this developing technology adds to their existing Microsoft tools to boost employee relations, collaboration, and ultimately, digital familiarisation.
However, a somewhat hidden behaviour has also been observed despite the comprehensive uptake of generative AI. Even though trust in the technology is at 50 per cent despite its early stages, there’s evident neglect in formal AI policy implementation in enterprises. A substantial number of leaders reported that they’re aware of employees using public generative AI tools, with 27 per cent admitting to using them themselves, instead of enterprise-strong solutions which offer content safety measures and data protection.
Interestingly, 8 per cent highlighted that they’re aware of employees intentionally using generative AI software contrary to company’s regulations. This could lead to the rise of a covert generative AI culture, seeing employees resort to accessible public software that are not in alignment with company policy and lack the necessary privacy, security and data protection features.
Furthermore, 42 per cent of high-level managers expressed preferences for enterprise-grade AI solutions over public ones (17 per cent didn’t agree). About 23 per cent of businesses prohibit the usage of free generative AI software, while more than half believe that exclusive or freely accessible generative AI tools could expose their confidential data without their awareness.
Microsoft’s study clearly demonstrates that companies at the cutting edge of adopting generative artificial intelligence (AI) and implementing an ‘AI-first’ approach are reaping significant rewards – 71% compared to the 42% of companies that disallow the use of generative AI. The benefits seen by these organisations include heightened productivity, increased potential for innovation and improved training methods.
Despite the current research suggesting domestically based organisations are lagging, McCorry reassures that it’s merely the beginning and there’s still ample opportunity to be early adopters and exploit the transformational power of AI.
“At Microsoft Ireland, our commitment is to equip people and organisations across Ireland with the requisite technology and skills to prosper in the AI-dominated epoch,” says McCorry.
For additional insights from the 2024 Generative AI in Ireland report conducted by Microsoft Ireland and Trinity College Dublin, follow this link.