PwC Ireland and Microsoft are collaborating to open a new generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) business center in Dublin. The professional services firm announced the center, located at its Irish headquarters, would drive “necessary investment returns in a safe and secure way.” According to PwC, GenAI has the potential to transform industries by automating tasks, revolutionizing problem-solving, and creating new opportunities. Earlier this year, PwC 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 alongside a new PwC survey that found slow adoption of AI and GenAI in Ireland compared to international standards. The survey of business leaders in Ireland found fewer than one in ten (7%) 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 commented on the announcement: “This is an important investment by PwC Ireland which 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.”