Irish business leaders have entered 2026 with the highest confidence and appetite for transformation across Europe and beyond, with 95% expecting a heightened pace of change this year, the highest of all 20 countries surveyed and compared with 82% across Europe. This momentum is matched by economic optimism, with 96% of Irish leaders expecting domestic revenue growth in 2026, surpassing the European average of 91% and marking the highest level of confidence among all European countries surveyed.
This is according to
Accenture’s latest Pulse of Change survey, which reveals that despite leaders’ strong confidence, there is a widening gap between leaders and employees when it comes to AI readiness, communication and overall confidence in technological change.
Reflecting insights from 3,650 leaders and 3,350 employees globally (including 1,070 executives and 929 employees across Europe) spanning 20 industries and 20 countries, the research found that 94% of Irish leaders expect to increase investment in AI this year. A further 90% of Irish organisations expect their hiring plans to grow in 2026, compared with 71% across Europe. Despite this, only 44% of Irish employees feel secure in their job or role.
The discrepancies continue when it comes to Generative AI (gen AI). Over nine in 10 (91%) Irish leaders said their experience with gen AI over the past year has changed the way they think about technology for the better, compared to 69% in the US and 79% in the UK. Employees, however, offer a contrasting perspective: only 51% said their experience with gen AI over the past year changed the way they think about technology for the better, compared with 61% across Europe.
Confidence remains low among employees more broadly. Just over one in five (23%) say they can use AI tools confidently and explain them to others, compared with 33% in the UK and 25% across Europe. Only 27% feel very prepared to respond to technological disruption in 2026, including emerging technologies and AI, compared with 34% in Europe. This stands in contrast to Irish leaders, 57% of whom say they are well prepared to respond.
Hilary O’Meara, Country Managing Director, Accenture in Ireland said: “Irish business leaders are demonstrating remarkable ambition when it comes to AI investment and reinvention. However, this research shows that for organisations to fully unlock the value of AI, they need to bring their people with them. Employees are asking for clearer communication and clarity in how AI will change their roles and skills. The companies that succeed in 2026 won’t just scale AI technologies, they’ll scale trust, transparency and capability, resulting in greater employee confidence. That is how Ireland will sustain its competitive edge and ensure AI becomes a driver of shared growth for both leaders and employees.”
Further findings from the research include:
Over half (56%) of leaders say they plan to prioritise upskilling and reskilling their people for AI?enhanced work this year.
100% of Irish leaders say their organisation’s workforce has the appropriate training to work with AI, yet only 55% of employees agree.
Only 3% of Irish employees say their roles or responsibilities have undergone very significant change due to AI, compared with 7% in Europe and 19% in Switzerland.
Communication appears to be a major contributing factor: only 17% of Irish employees strongly agree that leadership has very clearly communicated how AI agents and Agentic AI will impact the workforce, including changes to roles and required skills.