Adopting AI: Irish entrepreneurs reveal the benefits of using artificial intelligence

Irish Entrepreneurs Lead the Way: Unlocking the Power of AI for Business Growth

Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept; it's a transformative tool reshaping industries worldwide. From streamlining operations and automating tasks to revolutionising customer service and enhancing data processing, AI offers unprecedented opportunities. Ireland is at the forefront of this technological revolution, with visionary entrepreneurs leveraging AI to gain a competitive edge and drive innovation.

To understand the real-world impact, we spoke to two Irish firms making waves in the AI space: OnSecurity, a cybersecurity innovator, and Zerve, a platform designed for AI and data developers.

Case Study: OnSecurity & AI-Augmented Cybersecurity

Founded by Kildare native Conor O’Neill in Bristol, OnSecurity was born out of frustration with the slow, manual processes in penetration testing (pentesting) – the crucial practice of ethical hacking to find system vulnerabilities. O'Neill saw an opportunity to bring efficiency and innovation to this vital security service.

OnSecurity's core offering is an AI-augmented pentesting platform. It seamlessly combines the critical thinking and expertise of human security professionals with the speed and data processing power of advanced AI. The goal? To optimise the entire security testing process, from initial reconnaissance to final reporting.

Tangible Benefits for OnSecurity Clients:

• Dramatic Time Savings: Booking a traditional pentest can take weeks. With OnSecurity's platform, it takes mere minutes. The entire management process, from scheduling to receiving results, is centralised and simplified.
• Increased Efficiency: AI handles tedious, repetitive tasks, allowing skilled human testers to focus on high-impact analysis and complex problem-solving. This means clients get more value from expert time.
• Enhanced Coverage & Quality: AI capabilities enable broader and deeper assessments of systems, improving test coverage without compromising the quality of findings.
• Lower Costs: By making the process more efficient and automating tasks, AI helps reduce the overall cost of rigorous security testing for clients.
• Improved Reporting: AI assists in generating detailed, contextualised reports with clear remediation guidance, aiding faster and clearer communication of vulnerabilities.

OnSecurity isn't just using AI externally; they're integrating it operationally in areas like sales and software engineering to boost efficiency and throughput. O'Neill highlights that while AI enhances capabilities significantly, it doesn't replace the necessity of human expertise, creativity, and logical analysis, especially in a critical service like security.

Navigating the Challenges of AI Adoption:

Despite AI's promise, getting clients to adopt AI-driven services over traditional methods can be a challenge. O'Neill notes that the pentesting market is often regulatory-driven, with clients primarily focused on the outcome, less so on the underlying technology. However, he anticipates this changing rapidly. A bigger industry challenge is commoditisation and competition, including from 'pure AI' pentest vendors.

OnSecurity's Strategy for Success:

Their approach is rooted in continuous differentiation and innovation, focusing intently on customer pain points. O'Neill references Jevon's paradox: as pentesting becomes more affordable due to AI, demand will increase, making the management and orchestration of these tests even more critical. OnSecurity is strategically focusing product development on excelling in this orchestration role.

Case Study: Zerve & Operationalising AI

Based in Limerick and co-founded by Phily Hayes, Zerve addresses a significant hurdle for organisations: the difficulty in translating promising AI and data science prototypes into scalable, production-ready products. Many projects get stuck after the proof-of-concept stage due to bottlenecks in infrastructure, collaboration, and deployment.

Zerve provides an 'operating system' for developing and delivering data and AI products. Unlike tools that solve isolated issues, Zerve unifies the entire lifecycle—planning, coding, infrastructure provisioning, and deployment—into a single, secure, and productive platform.

Core Problem Zerve Solves:

They empower data scientists, machine learning engineers, and analytics teams to build, iterate, and deploy AI and data products collaboratively, sidestepping common issues related to DevOps and system integration.

Key Benefits Zerve Delivers:

• Accelerated Time-to-Value: By streamlining the development-to-deployment pipeline, Zerve helps clients move from idea to impactful AI products much faster.
• Increased Productivity & Volume: Teams can deliver a higher volume of high-quality AI and data projects.
• Optimal Resource Allocation: Experienced team members are freed from infrastructure headaches and integration issues to focus on innovation and complex problem-solving.
• Improved Team Dynamics: Zerve fosters faster, more productive, aligned, and impactful data teams.
• Business Impact: The platform helps organisations improve customer insights, optimise internal operations, and unlock new revenue streams through effective AI deployment.

Zerve isn't just a platform *for* building AI; it deeply integrates AI *within* the platform itself. A standout feature is the Zerve Agent, designed to act like a full-stack Data & AI professional. This Agent understands the entire project lifecycle – scoping, architecting, coding production-ready solutions, managing infrastructure, and troubleshooting – all via natural language interactions. It's presented as an expert teammate, helping teams move faster and reduce errors.

AI Challenges and Opportunities from Zerve's Perspective:

Hayes views the rapid pace of change in AI less as a challenge and more as an exciting opportunity. Their clients, often experienced AI teams, are generally comfortable with AI services. The biggest challenge for the industry is this speed of change.

Zerve's Strategy for Success:

Hayes advises remaining agile, nimble, and open-minded to the constantly shifting boundaries of what's possible. Their 2025 goal is to continue supporting top global teams while expanding their R&D footprint in Ireland.

Key Takeaways for Your Business

The experiences of OnSecurity and Zerve offer valuable insights for any business considering or currently adopting AI:

1. Identify Specific Pain Points: AI is most effective when applied to solve concrete problems, whether it's inefficient processes (OnSecurity) or deployment bottlenecks (Zerve).
2. Focus on Augmentation, Not Just Replacement: AI excels at repetitive tasks and data processing, but human creativity, critical thinking, and ethical judgment remain irreplaceable, especially in complex or sensitive areas like cybersecurity.
3. Streamline the End-to-End Process: Think beyond individual tasks. Platforms that unify workflows (like Zerve) can unlock greater value by accelerating the entire project lifecycle.
4. Embrace Agility: The AI landscape is evolving rapidly. Staying nimble and open to new possibilities is crucial for competitive advantage.
5. Train Your Team: Empower your existing staff to become 'AI-native' users, leveraging AI tools to amplify their work and improve efficiency.
6. Look for Tangible Benefits: Successful AI adoption delivers clear benefits: cost savings, time reduction, increased productivity, better outcomes, and new capabilities.

The Future is AI-Powered

These Irish entrepreneurs demonstrate that AI is not just a buzzword but a powerful force for positive change. By strategically adopting AI, focusing on tangible benefits, and integrating it thoughtfully alongside human expertise, businesses can unlock new levels of efficiency, innovation, and growth. Ireland's entrepreneurial spirit is clearly thriving in the age of artificial intelligence, offering a compelling blueprint for success.