PwC Ireland, in partnership with Microsoft, is opening a new generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) business center to boost the adoption of the technology. The professional services firm said that the center, located at its Irish headquarters on Dublin’s North Wall Quay, would drive “the necessary investment returns in a safe and secure way.” The technology has the potential to transform industries by automating tasks, revolutionizing problem-solving, and creating new opportunities.
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. The announcement of the new Irish unit came in parallel with a new PwC survey which suggested that while adoption of AI and GenAI in Ireland was slower than other countries, it was still on an upward trend.
The survey of business leaders in Ireland found that fewer than one in ten (7%) had rolled out AI on a large scale in their organizations. This compares to 26% in a previous PwC survey carried out among US business executives. Nearly a quarter (24%) of Irish business leaders admitted they have no plans to use GenAI such as OpenAI’s GPT models, but some 61% said they are either considering adopting AI or are using it to a limited extent.
Managing partner of PwC Ireland Enda McDonagh referred to the announcement of the new center saying: “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.”