Employers must invest in staff skills to keep pace with AI, says Dell boss 

Irish businesses and organisations are telling Dell Technologies barriers are blocking their progress with AI

Catherine Doyle, managing director, Dell Technologies Ireland. Picture: Clare Keogh

Irish employers need to invest in staff skills to keep pace with AI, says Dell boss Employers need to invest in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills of their staff to keep pace with transformative new technologies, says Catherine Doyle, managing director, Dell Technologies Ireland.

While there is a clear appetite among Irish-based employers to engage with new AI technologies, recent Dell surveys have found that a lack of talent is now the number one challenge holding back this ambition.

“In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, innovation is no longer a buzzword; it’s vital to fuelling growth and fostering competitiveness,” said Catherine Doyle. “Over recent decades, Ireland’s strategic position within the EU Single Market, skilled workforce and strong ties between industry and academic has helped to create a strong innovation ecosystem.” 

 Combined with a forward-looking approach, Ireland now ranks 22nd among the 132 global economies in the most recent Global Innovation Index.

However, Dell’s interactions with businesses and organisations across Ireland are finding that barriers remain in place along their journey of innovation.

From difficulties in harnessing the power of data within their organisation to lingering uncertainty about the future, leaders in many sectors are struggling to keep pace with the pace of change.

According to Dells research, 56% of businesses in Ireland don’t know what the next three to five years will look like for their industry.

“How is it that some organisations can successfully turn their ideas into meaningful, game-changing innovation while others do not? AI is increasingly becoming an important tool in propelling innovation forward,” Catherine said.

“Over the past year, we’ve all seen GenAI come to life with the emergence of ChatGPT and other AI-enabled chatbots. These GenAI tools open up the opportunities to solve complex problems, automate tasks, improve decision making and enhance productivity.” 

However, Dell’s research shows that business and IT leaders are facing a worrying conundrum as they look to power AI in the organisations: although they need data to drive decisions, data silos and the explosion in the growth of data often derail the best-laid plans.

Today, only one in three Irish businesses say they can turn data into real-time insights. As data volumes increase, there is a growing need to put in place modern data infrastructure so that data in every division of an organisation can be accessed and its potential harnessed.

“In an AI-driven economy, organisations with a data-driven approach will be best placed to turn ideas into tangible innovation,” Catherine said. “As the clear leader in compute and storage, Dell is helping leaders here in Ireland to address their data management challenges and putting in place the right technology to power AI in their organisations.

“Last year, we announced the expanding capabilities of our Customer Solution Centre Innovation Lab in Limerick where global customers can experience real-life examples of how AI as well as 5G and the Internet of Things can develop digital cities, Industry 4.0, and connected transport.

“According to our latest study, the lack of talent is now the number one challenge in driving innovation. Simply put, without people with the right skills, there can be no innovation.”

 To help overcome this lingering obstacle, 59% percent of organisations are training or upskilling employees to use GenAI while six in 10 are providing AI-optimised technology to their people in order to improve the work experience.

“From my own experience leading the Dell team in Ireland, one of the main ingredients to powering innovation is the ability to nurture a culture that embraces collaboration and experimentation,” she said.

“One method that an organisation may progress and motivate change in everyone is by creating an atmosphere that encourages idea exchange and the desire to enhance business models and practices. 

“By combining their people’s ingenuity with the right technology and processes, they can take smart and informed risks and stay agile. As we navigate a world increasingly shaped by technology, the ability to generate new ideas will set innovation leaders and laggards apart.”

 The Dell chief says that businesses need an innovation roadmap to fully unlock the business benefits afforded by GenAI. Businesses need a vision for how this powerful technology can transform your organisation and the steps that your people and organisation can take to achieve that goal.

“Without doubt, GenAI holds immense promise as a catalyst for innovation in business. By breaking down data silos and fostering a culture of creativity and collaboration, organisations can push the boundaries of innovation and carve out a competitive advantage globally.

“As leaders here in Ireland navigate an increasingly complex and competitive landscape, innovation is not just an option but a necessity for success,” she concluded.