PwC Ireland has announced the opening of a new generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) business center in collaboration with Microsoft. The professional services firm said the center, located at its Irish headquarters on Dublin’s North Wall Quay, will 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 stated.

The announcement of the new Irish unit was made alongside a new PwC survey that found slow adoption of AI and GenAI in Ireland compared to international standards. The survey found that fewer than one in ten (7%) business leaders have 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 in the year ahead. However, some 61% said that they are either considering adopting AI or using it to a limited extent.

Managing partner of PwC Ireland Enda McDonagh stated: “This is an important investment by PwC Ireland that we believe will deliver a generational leap forward in the way we deliver our work and 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.”