Connected newsletter: Tons of new tech jobs as AI advances continue
Connected at the Business Post is your source for the news that matters in technology and innovation, all told from an Irish perspective
It’s been another hectic week on the tech front with hundreds of new jobs being announced for Ireland and with some of our most inspiring entrepreneurs providing updates on how their businesses are doing.
Starting with the jobs and IBM on Thursday revealed plans to create up to 800 new roles across Ireland. The technology giant is making the investment across growth areas that include security, automation and hybrid cloud, with artificial technology at the heart of the software solutions to be developed locally.
Make no mistake this is big news, not least as it comes after IBM’s chief executive Arvind Krishna last year said he could see up to 8,000 non-customer facing jobs- equivalent to up to 30 per cent of IBM’s workforce - being replaced by AI over the next five years.
It isn’t just ‘Big Blue’ that’s creating new jobs. KPMG also unveiled plans for 200 new roles over the next three years with the launch of a new AI hub in Dublin.
Intercom this week also confirmed plans to hire 75 people as it doubles down on AI in a new $100 million investment. In a no-nonsense memo to employees, CEO Eoghan McCabe was forthright in the challenges that lies ahead at Intercom seeks to gain more market share. “Winning in this game will require aggression on all fronts, not just with our capital. We have no room for comfort or complacently or mediocrity,” he wrote.
Things are hurtling along on the AI front with OpenAI revealing a faster and cheaper version of the artificial intelligence model that underpins its chatbot, ChatGPT. Elsewhere, Anthropic, the Amazon-backed AI start-up, launched its AI assistant Claude in Europe. And, Google not only announced plans to roll out a version of its search engine that includes responses written by AI, but also hinted that Google Glass may be returning. Will all those ‘glassholes’ also be back? We hope not.
Still staying with AI and a new report from EY suggests that $12 billion will be invested in GenAI this year. Among the firms in the space securing investment are Numra, an Irish financial automation platform that has just raised €1.5 million.
Big news from Cork’s Workvivo this week as the Zoom-owned company announced it has been chosen by Meta as a replacement for Workplace, its online collaborative software solution, which the tech giant is discontinuing. Elsewhere, Evervault, the data security company led by former Young Scientist award winner Shane Curran, is expanding into the payments space.
Staying with Irish tech entrepreneurs and Stripe’s founders have backed their second home help robotics firm.
Ireland’s lack of a clear strategy on data centres is causing concern. IDA has warned against taking a ‘draconian’ policy on connections to the national grid, the Business Post exclusively revealed this week.
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In other news:
• Raspberry Pi confirms plans for £500m London listing
• Fexillon targets $10m in revenues as it opens first US office
• Amazon Web Services chief Adam Selipsky to step down
• Irish-American entrepreneur preps bids for TikTok’s US business
• PwC launches Cork-based cybersecurity centre
Finally, don't forget our new weekly update in which we give the lowdown on the best tech jobs currently available locally. If you want to be included, then email topjobs@businesspost.ie
Send on your news and views to connected@businesspost.ie
All the best,
Charlie
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