AI at Work
13th May 2024
Digital Business Ireland (DBI), the country’s largest representative body for digital and online businesses, has today published the results of its Digital Insights research on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace.
The organisation frequently conducts research to better understand the deployment of digital tools and products by members of the public. The poll was recently commissioned by Digital Business Ireland and carried out by leading research agency, Ireland Thinks, who asked respondents if they are using AI tools in their daily life to enhance their productivity at work. The research found that:
•Almost a quarter (23%) of the respondents under the age of 44 use AI daily to enhance their operational efficiency at work. This figure is made up of an average of 27% of 18-34 year olds and 19% of 35-44 year olds.
•23% of those earning over €80,000 per annum use AI daily, with 19% of those earning between €50,000-80,000 doing similarly. By comparison, only 8% of those earning €20-30k use AI daily.
•Male respondents were more likely to use AI tools than their female counterparts – but only by a small margin – 14% to 11%.
Given the growth in usage of AI tools, DBI in its recently released EU Election Manifesto, called on the European Commission to invest more in programmes such as the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition that can facilitate SMEs and other businesses with upskilling, learning and training opportunities. The organisation also called on the Irish Government to prioritise the digital affairs brief when nominating a new representative to the EU Commission.
Caroline Dunlea, Chairperson of Digital Business Ireland, said: “DBI’s research findings show that, while many workers in Ireland have taken to using AI tools at work, uptake among the lower income bracket is still quite low. For this reason, it is important that a targeted funding envelope is considered for SMEs to enable and empower them to train their workforce, while availing of the operational efficiencies and data driven outcomes.
Artificial Intelligence offers businesses an opportunity that is simply too good to ignore.
The digital toolkit available under this technology is transformative and will serve to revolutionise Irish enterprises, while enhancing customer experiences.”
