The Republic is lagging the rest of the world when it comes to the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace, according to a report from PwC.
The report on “hopes and fears” in the workplace involved interviews with almost 50,000 workers across 48 countries and regions, including 1,018 workers in the State. It was carried out in late summer.
It found daily use of generative AI, which creates new content like text, images, audio and code by learning patterns from large data sets, stands at about 10 per cent in Ireland and 14 per cent globally. The Irish figure is up from 3 per cent last year.
Use of AI agents, which are software systems that perceive their environment, use reasoning and planning to make decisions, and take autonomous actions to achieve goals, is being used by 3 per cent of workers here, as against 6 per cent globally.
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The report described the figures as “low”, although it also found 43 per cent of Irish workers have used AI of some sort for their role in the past 12 months. “AI users in Ireland see higher productivity, higher quality of work and greater creativity in their jobs,” the report noted.
It said 67 per cent of AI users in the Republic see higher productivity at work, as against 74 per cent globally, while 64 per cent see higher quality of work, as against 75 per cent globally.
Some 55 per cent see greater creativity in their jobs here, but this again is lower than the global figure, where the figure is almost seven in 10.
Laoise Mullane, director and AI adoption lead at PwC Ireland, said the future of work is “already being shaped by AI”, and that the biggest gains are “going to those who are embracing it now”.
“We’re seeing teams become faster and more creative, but the real opportunity isn’t just about making existing processes more efficient – it’s about rethinking how work gets done altogether,” she said.
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“To truly unlock AI’s potential, organisations need to move beyond pilots and process improvements, and most importantly, invest in upskilling all of their people.”
But while 43 per cent of Irish workers say they have used AI for their role in the past 12 months, frequent utilisation rates remain low, suggesting ample opportunity for growth and access to the tangible benefits, the report said.
The report also established that while organisations are investing in their upskilling programmes to contend with new and emerging technologies, employer upskilling efforts are uneven.
Just 57 per cent of Irish respondents reported having access to the resources they need for learning and development at work, compared to 59 per cent globally.
There are also marked differences in the extent to which workers feel part of a culture that supports learning. Overall, 49 per cent of Irish workers say their team treats failure as an opportunity to learn and grow, as against 54 per cent globally.
Some 45 per cent of Irish workers received a pay rise in the last year, slightly above the global figure of 43 per cent, with just over 11 per cent receiving a promotion, as against 17 per cent globally.
