Experts from Accenture discuss Generating Impact, the organisation’s latest AI research report.

For many organisations in the process of implementing and using artificial intelligence (AI), despite best efforts there is often a gap between the adoption of advanced technologies and their overall impact within a company. 

Recently, Irish technology consulting company Accenture, released the Generating Impact: Turning frontier AI capabilities into frontline productivity and growth in Ireland, report. The research explored how AI is still, in a sense, in its infancy when it comes to workplace proliferation and the transformation of the working environment. 

In gathering the data for its report, Accenture surveyed more than 2,000 UK and Ireland based employees between February and March of this year, as well as 510 business executives from mid-market and large enterprises.

The report gauges where Ireland stands currently, the factors holding back organisations and the steps companies will need to take to bridge the growing divide between potential and performance. 

At a recent AI Future Forum event, Liam Connolly, the managing director for AI and data at Accenture Ireland, said, “18 months ago, 40pc of all working hours in Ireland could be augmented by AI. 

“Today, that number is 82pc. The challenge that our organisations are seeing is they’re not seeing the impact. Only one in 10 organisations have embedded AI into their core operations and are actually seeing real value.”

He added, “The research is basically built all around the gap between adoption and impact, and we cover that across several dimensions. One is strategy, two is work itself, three is the workforce, four is digital core, and then finally then it’s all about safety and security.”

Transformative skill

Accenture’s research found that AI has begun to reshape the skills being prioritised in the modern working landscape. Namely, evidence suggests that the demand for routine, structured cognitive skills is on the decline, while AI-related skills are among the fastest growing. 

Other skills considered to be of value were firmly rooted in people-centric capabilities, such as skill in people management, judgement, compliance, quality assurance, control and domain-specific process execution. 

Commenting on the skills that are becoming vital to the proper implementation and adoption of AI, Aisling Campbell, a human resources lead for Accenture Ireland, said, “The skills that are really important today to stay on top of the technological transformation of the workplace are, first of all, knowing the technology and having the skills to use that technology and to use it with confidence as well. 

“But also what I think is very important is the ability to learn and unlearn what we know as well and being able to constantly evolve and adapt our learning and being able to stay ahead of what is coming, not just already here, but what is coming as well in technology developments.”

Campbell noted the importance of not treating AI as a standalone technology within an organisation’s business operations, rather, it is critical that it is an accessible and understood resource throughout a company.

She said, “In Accenture, AI is core to our business strategy. It doesn’t belong to one particular function. It’s not being done in a silo. It’s core to our business structure and our business strategy and with that in mind, we are bringing our people on a journey to be the most AI-enabled workforce.

“In many organisations, teams already exist of humans and agents, and as we go forward, it’s really important that we keep focused on inclusion, collaboration and what that looks like in this new world as well.”

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