Blue and green circles
Read Time, 2 min.

“AI is the new electricity. Just as electricity transformed almost everything 100 years ago, today I have a hard time thinking of an industry that I don’t think AI will transform.” – Andrew Ng, AI Expert.

Today, AI is embedded into our lives. We access it on a daily basis. Mobile banking, social networking; the spam filters on our inboxes. Phones that respond to our voices.

We’ve all heard the hype, yet AI is one of the lesser understood technologies of our time. When it comes to business, many questions remain. How are companies using AI to transform their business? What exactly are the technologies being used to do it?

Microsoft and EY surveyed 277 companies, across 7 sectors and 15 countries across Europe to learn which AI technologies are already being used – and how.

What technologies and data solutions are within the scope of the study?

Developing a Culture of Adoption

Business leaders acknowledge the potential of speech recognition, computer vision, virtual agents, and other advanced AI technologies. However, their use is far from prevalent. The current focus is on narrower specific use technologies that support existing business. But, with these narrower efforts, companies are building their ability to utilise more advanced AI solutions in future. 

New Possibilities for Machine Learning

Machine Learning came out as the most commonly used of all the AI technologies among the companies surveyed.

Of the different types of Machine Learning, ‘supervised learning’ came out on top. This is where structured data is fed to software in order to find patterns.

Alongside Machine Learning, Smart Robotics was found to be the most useful of the technologies. This may be because they’re the most commonly used starting points. Whether they hold wider, longer term potential is unclear.

AI holds the potential to transform business in a radical way. But business leaders need to understand the full range of AI technologies and their applications. Only then will they grasp the opportunities and threats the technologies pose.

Free AI Report: Artificial Intelligence in Ireland. How 277 major European companies benefit from AI

Discover how your Western European and Irish peers use AI to digitally transform their organisation

Discover more related articles per industry:

Education

  • a person sitting at a desk in front of a computer

    Reimagining Uninterrupted Learning at Sacred Heart School in Tullamore

    As students and teachers found themselves away from the classroom environment and learning from home, schools were again adapting to different ways of learning to ensure quality education continues. For the Sacred Heart School in Tullamore, Co Offaly, the staff and student body were well prepared to deal with this upheaval and continued to deliver […]

  • Northern Ireland moves to cloud-first education

    Northern Ireland moves to cloud-first education

    Northern Ireland moves to cloud-first education All teachers in the region now being equipped with Surface Pro laptops Transforming how education is provided in Northern Ireland over the next decade is a crucial goal for the region’s Education Authority.  To meet digital skills needs over that period and beyond, the authority is implementing a versatile […]

Finance & Insurance

Government

  • Two people inside using Surface Go in office

    How technology is transforming the work of governments

    Governments have the ultimate responsibility to their citizens. People depend on the services they provide like no other institution. Whether in healthcare, education, business, roads, railways, water – it’s essential that government institutions are always at the forefront of social and digital trends. Cloud-powered technologies are playing a critical role in helping government agencies to […]

Healthcare

  • Two people working in Healthcare with a Windows device

    Medical device provider builds an Azure data estate for any future

    Danish med-tech company Coloplast makes innovative care products for people with intimate health challenges. To help maintain productive customer relationships and better understand the needs of patients, Coloplast migrated from an on-premises data warehouse and business intelligence (BI) solution to Microsoft Power BI, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, and other Azure services. The migration is part […]

  • A woman undergoing a scan

    Predictive maintenance is improving quality of life for cancer patients

    With cancer affecting more than 17 million people annually, a figure set to rise dramatically in the coming years, efficient and cost-effective treatment is essential. Since deploying Microsoft Azure IoT, IBA Worldwide, a leading developer of medical equipment for cancer treatment, has been able to reduce the cost of maintenance and improve repair times for […]

Manufacturing

  • a man holding a paint spray

    What we can learn from AkzoNobel’s digital transformation

    Savvy businesses are always on the lookout for ways to improve what they do and differentiate themselves from the competition. From organisational restructure to the development of entirely new business models, the quest for continuous improvement takes many forms. But one common factor in almost all modern business leaders’ plans is an emphasis on technological […]

  • 5 ways you know you’re ready for connected field service

    5 ways you know you’re ready for connected field service

    More and more often, customer satisfaction is becoming the key to success. Emergency repairs often lead to high costs and great frustration for customers, so, understandably, you want to do everything you can to avoid them. Data and the Internet of Things help make this task a lot easier by enabling you to offer a […]

Retail

  • A man standing in front of a truck

    Why leading Irish retailer Musgrave is ready for anything with cloud technology

    “When assessing the potential effects of major digital transformation projects on our business, we always think about three key constituents: colleagues, retailers, and consumers.” So says Paul Baguley, IT PMO for Musgrave Retail – Ireland’s leading food retail, wholesale and food service company. Together with its retail partners, who operate under leading brands including SuperValu […]

  • Big data boosts business for beverage company

    Big data boosts business for beverage company

    Contemplate, if you will, the multiple choices available every time you want something to drink. Water? Juice? Soft drink? Do you want a single-serve can or a six-pack? Or maybe you just grab a liter bottle. The fact is, we as consumers expect a lot of options and the global non-alcoholic beverage industry delivers. Arca […]

Discover more related articles per dossier:

Customer Stories

  • Leinster Rugby: building lasting relationships with fans 

    Leinster Rugby: building lasting relationships with fans 

    Leinster Rugby, a powerhouse of professional rugby in Ireland, is constantly trying to improve how they manage fan engagement and the match day experience for their fans.   That’s why, Leinster Rugby engaged Microsoft Partner BearingPoint as their official Innovation Partner. A key objective of that partnership would be to explore technology that could help Leinster […]

Digital Transformation

Press

  • Image of a man and woman smiling

    Microsoft and Connect at Catalyst Inc

    Microsoft and Connect at Catalyst Inc It’s an exciting time to be working in the technology sector in Northern Ireland. More than ever before we’re seeing increased numbers of entrepreneurs, start-up businesses, and indeed multinationals setting up in the North. Working together and learning from each other encourages a strong technology ecosystem and ultimately yields […]

Security & Privacy

Tips

  • Group of two female and one male office workers brainstorming in informal office setting. Both women are using laptops while the man is writing. Large screen shown in background.

    2019 Modern Selling Trends in 5 webinars

    The relationship between buyers and sellers grows more complicated each day. Every potential partnership requires finding the right buyer, fully understanding their business, tracking progress through the buying cycle, and engaging them with the right content—when and how they want it. These shifting dynamics underscore the artistry of modern selling. When the time is right, […]