EY has opened a new artificial intelligence (AI) centre of excellence to give clients access to business benefits offered by new technologies.
AI Labs at EY focuses on big data, artificial intelligence, smart automation, virtual and augmented reality and advanced analytics. The firm has an team of data analytics and technology consultants at its Irish operation who will run the centre and provide their expertise, with more than 200 staff already on hand. The company said the new AI centre will grow its technology consulting business over the next three years.
It will be run in collaboration with its Wavespace innovation centre, a link that Catriona Campbell, EY UK & Ireland client technology and innovation officer, said would give EY clients access to 50 other centres around the world, bringing a global capability to the projects.
Paul Pierotti, EY Ireland data analytics and emerging technology partner, said the growing use of AI in everyday life was influencing its adoption in business.
“What we’re seeing is there’s an increasing awareness at the C suite, at leadership level, of the potential of analytics and AI, partly because they’re living and breathing it every day,” he said. “The reflection though for so many other organisations is they feel as if they know the potential is there but some of them are struggling to define it, understand it and realise it.”
Among the capabilities offered by the lab will be natural language processing, predictive analytics, optimisation, expert systems and advanced computer recognition. Mr Pierotti said the centre aimed to provide an environment where clients could come can see first-hand some practical examples relevant to their businesses, to bring to life what AI can do, and help them apply it on a wider scale.
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EY is teaming up with Science Foundation Ireland’s Adapt Centre as part of a four-year strategic collaboration to facilitate the application of advanced technology and research initiatives to address real-world challenges.
“The launch of AI Labs here in EY Ireland is a natural evolution of our already extensive suite of services to clients in the technology space,” said Frank O’Keeffe, managing partner of EY Ireland. “Long term sustainable success in business requires innovative thinking and access to the latest cutting-edge ideas and technologies.”