Stronger belief in AI benefits among Irish executives driven by productivity increases – easing fears around job impact.
Irish business leaders are growing more confidence in artificial intelligence (AI) and its role in the workplace.
That’s according to new research from consulting firm Expleo, even as levels of concern remain higher in Ireland than in neighbouring European countries.
“The direction of travel is clear – Irish business leaders are becoming more confident in AI, and more convinced of the value it delivers”
According to Expleo’s AI Pulse Sentiment Tracker for Ireland, overall the March results show a clear increase in AI confidence across Irish business leaders since February.
The sentiment tracker revealed that concern regarding job security decreased: 35% of Irish business leaders are now worried about the impact of AI on their job, compared to 44% the previous month.
At the same time, 69% are confident in their organisation’s ability to successfully use AI, an 8% increase since February. Additionally, 61% now view AI as a benefit, rather than a risk, an increase of 7% since last month.
Productivity gains
Ireland continues to report the highest level of concern regarding AI among its European peers. While 43% in Ireland are worried about how AI is transforming their organisation, only 35% in the UK expressed the same concern, along with 37% in Germany and 41% in France.
A similar pattern can be observed in perceptions of the cybersecurity risks posed by AI, with 60% of Irish business leaders reporting concern, compared to 47% in Germany and 58% in both France and the UK.
Alongside these concerns, the research also highlights clear productivity gains from AI use. However, Irish business leaders report slightly lower time savings, averaging 3.2 hours per week compared to 3.5 hours in the UK.
“The direction of travel is clear – Irish business leaders are becoming more confident in AI, and more convinced of the value it delivers,” said Rebecca Keenan, AI & Automation Director, Expleo, said.
“But confidence alone doesn’t create results. The fact that we still record the highest levels of concern across all four markets tells us something important: there is a trust deficit that education and hands-on experience must address. Organisations that close that gap first won’t just keep pace with their European peers, they’ll outperform them,” Keenan said.
Top image: Rebecca Keenan, AI & Automation Director, Expleo
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