PwC Ireland, in collaboration with Microsoft, is opening a new generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) business center in Dublin to boost adoption of the technology. The professional services firm said the center, located at its Irish headquarters on North Wall Quay, would drive “the necessary investment returns in a safe and secure way.” GenAI 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 the adoption of AI and GenAI in Ireland was slow by international standards.

The survey found that fewer than one in 10 (7 per cent) business leaders have rolled out AI on a large scale in their organizations, compared to 26 per cent in a previous PwC survey carried out among US business executives. Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of Irish business leaders admitted they have no plans to use GenAI such as OpenAI’s GPT models in the year ahead. However, some 61 per cent said that they are either considering adopting AI or are using it to a limited extent.

Managing partner of PwC Ireland Enda McDonagh stated: “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.” He added that this strategic collaboration with Microsoft will allow them to harness the power of generative AI in a secure and responsible way to build trust and drive sustained outcomes for clients.