A study by Expleo found that 98% of Irish business leaders believe AI will transform their industry in the next three years. In response, one in five (19%) businesses have already created new roles and positions within their business to help them deploy and manage AI.
The report, AI Integration: Navigating the Next Wave of Business Transformationcomprised of insights from 100 key decision-makers from large and medium-sized businesses in Ireland, plus a further 703 from France, Germany and the UK.
The study highlighted a clear shift in the outlook for AI, from a promising technology to a must-have technology for businesses, with businesses demanding more from their deployments. While only 26% of businesses in this region have already deployed AI tools, 68% have them in development, under consideration, or planning to deploy them in the next 12 months.
The increased urgency to deploy AI at scale was linked to the desire to achieve results, particularly in areas directly linked to the bottom line. Improved time to market, financial gains and improved quality (all 94%) were cited as the top three measures of ROI for AI deployments among Irish businesses.
Despite a clear desire to start realizing ROI from AI deployments, obstacles remain. Of these, the most important for Irish businesses are technical integrations with existing tools (34%) and the imperative to control costs (33%). However, Irish businesses are less likely to anticipate barriers to AI adoption than other countries: more than a quarter (26%) see no major barriers to deploying the technology, compared to an average 17% in the other markets studied.
The complex onboarding environment has made AI skills in high demand. More than half (55%) of Irish businesses said they were looking to external expertise to support their deployments. A similar number (54%) were investing in employee AI training.
Phil Codd, Managing Director of Expleo Ireland (pictured), said: “Adapting quickly to the AI revolution will be crucial for businesses in Ireland and around the world to make the most of the opportunities it presents. It is encouraging to see organisations being proactive and planning for the future by creating new roles that can deploy and manage AI.
“More than a quarter of Irish businesses have already deployed this technology. We therefore hope to see a continued upward trend in AI adoption in Ireland. Building on our reputation as a technology hub, we will be in a strong position to become a global leader in AI excellence. It’s time to seize this opportunity with open arms. »
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