IT
Over 60% of people in Ireland have heard of Generative AI, with 33% having used the technology
New research conducted by Deloitte in Ireland shows that a little under 2 in 5 respondents (38%) were not aware of Generative AI. For those who were aware of the technology 49% of them were aware of ChatGPT. Over half of (51%) respondents who have used the technology used it “once or twice to try” or less than monthly, while 6% of respondents use it daily.
Speaking today on the publication of research undertaken with 1,000 Irish respondents on their awareness and use of Generative Artificial Intelligence, Colm McDonnell, Partner Risk Advisory with Deloitte said; “As we approach the first anniversary of ChatGPT’s launch, it is interesting that Deloitte research finds that over 300,000 people in Ireland have used the technology for work purposes. By far the most popular purpose of using Generative AI is for personal purposes while 34% of respondents use it for education. It is clear from these responses that the use of Generative AI will only increase with time and greater adoption. It is imperative that we prepare for increased adoption.”
Deloitte’s research also found that from those who have used Generative AI more than one in three (35%) believe it always produces factually accurate responses, and 31% agree that its responses are unbiased.
Colm McDonnell continued; “From our work we believe that Generative AI adoption is still at the early stages. As it is increasingly utilised, we as a society need to balance the requirements for trust and safety along with the need to harness the potential of technology. In our work with clients, we view trustworthy AI through six dimensions – impartial, transparent, accountable, secure, respectful of privacy and reliable. At Deloitte we believe the new regulations on the way from the European Union will be a crucial element in striking the balance between trust, safety, and the potential opportunities.”
Key findings :
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Over 60% of people in Ireland have heard of Generative AI, with 33% having used the technology
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Over one in ten respondents (11%) – the equivalent of over 300,000 people in Ireland – report having used Generative AI tools for work
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Of those who have used Generative AI in Ireland, 35% believe that it always produced factually accurate answers and a similar proportion (31%) believe the answers generated are unbiased
Generative AI in the workplace
Emmanuel Adeleke, Partner, AI & Data, Deloitte said; “We know from the Deloitte Digital Consumer trends research that 11% of Irish workers have used Generative AI in the workplace. This is despite the fact that amongst those respondents who were aware of these tools, 37% believed their employer would not approve of them using Generative AI for work purposes. It is fair to conclude that employers and employees would benefit from clarity around the acceptable and appropriate use of Generative AI. Furthermore, businesses will also have to look at how they engage with their customers, suppliers and regulators on these technologies. Like all transformative changes a certain lag-time between innovation and response is to be expected but it is vital that those managing businesses are proactive, open and accurate in all conversations on Generative AI. Deloitte’s research shows that AI is here to stay in the workplace, and that is unlikely to change.”
The impact of Generative AI on the workforce is also an issue that is front of mind for a lot of employees. Among those who were aware of the technology over 3 in 5 (62%) believed that Generative AI will reduce the number of jobs available in the future and almost half of respondents (46%) are concerned that Generative AI will replace some of their role in the workforce in the future.
Emmanuel Adeleke continued; “Generative AI presents a wide range of possibilities, such as freeing up time for employees to focus on tasks that matter most to their organisations. Our research shows that some of the workforce are already beginning to experiment to see how they can use, so it is important that employers and their employees communicate effectively about how and where the technology will be introduced, and what benefits it will bring. In Deloitte we believe that far more open and substantive engagement needs to take place about the implications of this new technology on tasks within the firm, both now and into the future.”
Emmanuel Adeleke concluded “While there is increasing industry awareness that Global AI regulations (e.g. the European Union AI Act) will eventually address ethics concerns, some organisations are hesitant to move beyond ad hoc AI experiments until they have regulatory clarity. Additionally, divergence in international approaches to regulation, while not a new phenomenon, will add complexity to the Al agendas in global institutions. We believe that Ireland can play an important role in this process. ”