Irish SMEs playing catch-up with AI due to skills shortage, say tech giants

The Oireachtas enterprise committee heard from Google, Amazon, and Microsoft representatives

Microsoft director of EU government affairs Jeremy Rollison told the Oireachtas enterprise committee that resources exist in Ireland to respond to the rapidly changing tech environment, especially when it comes to AI.

Tech giants have urged the Government to address the growing trend of SMEs falling behind on AI adoption compared to advancements made by larger firms.

Representatives from Google, Amazon, and Microsoft told the Oireachtas enterprise committee that a chronic shortage of skills is the main barrier for businesses that want to build AI technology into their operations.