John Whelan: Irish Government not taking advantage of Dell's AI skills

Irish Examiner

2 days ago

Dell has emerged as a leader in the world of supercomputers, the 'must-have' computer to fully realise all the benefits of AI.
At the release of its first quarter financial results last Tuesday, the company demonstrated its ability to reinvent itself, pivoting its business from the PC business which employed 3,000 in 1990 at its height in Limerick, before the PC bubble burst, to now employing 5,000 in its facilities in Limerick, Cork and Dublin offering the industry's broadest AI solutions portfolio of desktop, data centre, and cloud innovations, designed to accelerate AI adoption and innovation.
Yvonne McGill, chief financial officer, Dell Technologies, stated at the QI finance release: "With AI continuing to drive new growth, revenue was up 6% at $22.2bn (€19.9bn), with $12.1bn (€10.8bn) in AI orders this quarter alone."
But the pivotal moment followed, with the US Department of Energy's announcement on Thursday that it would launch a new supercomputer, named Doudna, which will use Dell's advanced technology to perform complex computing tasks. This marks Dell as a key provider of cutting-edge supercomputers, using the latest Nvidia chips.
According to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, the Doudna supercomputer will enable rapid innovation, advance breakthroughs in quantum computing and ensure America's scientists have the tools needed to win the global race for AI dominance.
With its now well-established credentials, it is surprising that Dell, with three campuses across Ireland offering AI Centres of Excellence Solutions Development, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Operations, Engineering, IT and Finance, has not featured in either the Irish Government's first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy launched in 2021, nor in a "refresher" version announced by Minister Jack Chambers in May.
In the initial AI National Strategy document, Strand Three featured on 'driving AI in Irish enterprise' gives favourable mention to Meta/Facebook, Microsoft, Google as well as OpenAI and Anthropic, but no mention of Dell.
Ireland's Government has confirmed its commitment to updating the region's National Digital and AI strategy this year to keep Ireland in a key position to leverage the benefits and opportunities of AI innovation.
However, there is a concern in business circles that Minister Chambers has opted to focus the updated strategy on public services adoption, in its 'Guidelines for the Responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Service', launched in May.
The power of AI is undeniable, and 2025 will mark a pivotal moment for businesses to fully realise its potential. But the Government must do more to assist Irish businesses to harness AI to drive efficiency, innovation, and growth.
Surveying 1,000 people in Ireland, earlier in the year, a Deloitte report shows that over two-thirds of employees say AI boosts their productivity at work, but less than a quarter of employers actively encourage the use of the technology.
Colman O'Flynn, Cork Site Lead at Dell Technologies Ireland, in an interview with The Irish Examiner looking at the opportunity for Irish businesses in the AI era stated that their teams at their three campuses in Ireland remain committed to supporting Irish businesses as they navigate this exciting era, providing the tools and expertise needed to succeed.
Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO at Dell Technologies, has been a long-term supporter of Ireland and has made a number of recent investments that further reinforce Ireland's position as a strategic location for Dell globally.
Dell invested €2m in redeveloping its Customer Solution Centre (CSC) in Cork; and the recent expansion of the CSC Innovation Lab in Limerick enables customers and partners to harness data at the edge. Dell also invested €2m to create the company's only Open Telecom Ecosystem Lab outside the US in Cork.
Michael Dell's experience in dealing with the US administration and the potential for collaboration with US partners in the AI developments could be invaluable to the Irish Government.
Many are of the opinion that AI is the Manhattan Project of our time, and Irish businesses need to be part of the project, but we cannot do it alone. The likes of Dell need to be part of the Irish solution.
The Trump administration stated that the Doudna project will help ensure America's scientists have the tools they need to win the global race for AI dominance. And that is also the challenge that both Ireland and the EU face.
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