Irish business leaders express concern about AI, Expleo reveals

Expleo, the global technology, engineering and consulting service provider, have announced the results of its AI Pulse sentiment tracker for Ireland. The February survey reveals an overall sentiment score of 64 out of 100 for confidence in AI. Business leaders highlighted concerns about AI’s impact on cybersecurity, ethics, and organisational transformation.

Expleo’s AI pulse sentiment tracker gauges sentiment towards the use of AI in business, ranging from 0 (very worried) to 100 (very confident). A total of 200 respondents are surveyed from each country across Ireland, the UK, Germany and France.

The index captures levels of worry, excitement, trust and confidence in AI-led technology, tracing shifts over time and offering business leaders unique insights into collective attitudes towards AI to help inform decision-making.

In February, Expleo’s AI Pulse tracker revealed that 61% of Irish business leaders are concerned about the cybersecurity risks posed by AI – the highest proportion among the countries surveyed. Irish business leaders are also the mostly likely to view AI as a risk to their organisation rather than a benefit (28%), compared with the UK (16%), Germany (16%), and France (19%). Nearly half (45%) are concerned about how AI is transforming their organisation, and one in five (20%) do not trust their organisation to use AI ethically.

While 44% in Ireland are worried about the impact of AI on their own job, concern about jobs grew across all markets in February. In February, France was the first country to report a majority of business leaders (52%) expressing worry about their jobs due to AI.

Phil Codd, Managing Director – Ireland, Expleo, said: “AI has proven to be a powerful driver of efficiency, but at Expleo, we see many organisations facing challenges in implementing and scaling it. The results from the AI Pulse tracker appear to mirror this challenge, highlighting the need for businesses to balance innovation with governance, security, and a robust operational framework. At Expleo, we’ll be tracking these shifts carefully with each monthly update to ensure our clients are well-positioned to navigate these challenges effectively.”

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