According to the research, there is a growing gap between the speed of individual adoption and businesses making the changes needed to use it effectively.? The report calls out the significant opportunity for Ireland and highlights that without targeted investment in skills, workflow redesign and stronger core systems, Ireland could struggle to fully realise the productivity and growth benefits of AI.
Employees are enthusiastic, but are calling for more training and clarity
The research highlights a growing skills gap as AI becomes embedded in day?to?day work. Over three in five (64%) Irish employees expect to reskill as AI changes how they work. Employees are enthusiastic, with 70% saying AI and new technologies make their jobs better, but almost half of employees (47%) say they have been expected to use new technology which they haven’t been trained on and 39% feel unprepared to work alongside AI tools or systems in their field.
Elsewhere, of those employees who are not regularly using generative AI tools to support their work, 35% say it’s because they don’t understand AI tools well enough to feel confident using them.
Encouragingly, 44% of Irish business leaders say they are investing in reskilling and redeployment pathways (compared with 30% in the UK). However, the report suggests many organisations still lack the basics needed to scale confidently, with 25% of employers reporting that employees don’t have clear guidance on when and how to use AI tools/agents and just 35% of Irish business leaders have conducted a formal AI skills audit.
Adoption is rising quickly and the opportunity for business is significant
AI use at work is becoming mainstream: 22% of employees surveyed in Ireland say they use generative AI tools daily (up from 8% in 2024). But “shadow AI” persists, with only 34% of employees saying they use AI tools provided by their employer, while 30% report sourcing tools independently.
At the same time, the report finds AI’s potential economic scope has expanded sharply, with the share of working hours in Ireland estimated to be in scope for AI?enabled reinvention rising to 82%, up from 42% in 2024. But progress remains uneven: only 29% of employees say a major process in their team has been redesigned around AI in the past year.
Hilary O’Meara, Country Managing Director, Accenture in Ireland, said: “Ireland has all the ingredients to lead in the age of AI: a skilled workforce, a public and private sector proven to deliver, deep connections with global technology industry, and genuine national ambition. Now the question is whether Irish business will play its part.
“AI will reshape roles, skills, and career paths across every sector. Leaders must invest in their people as much as they invest in technology, building the confidence and capability that turn AI from a powerful tool into a way of working. That makes sustained investment in learning and training essential. The organisations that will thrive are those that embed AI into how they work, not just the tools they use.”
Peter Burke TD, Minister for Enterprise Tourism and Employment, added: “The opportunity AI presents is transformative for our businesses and wider economy, from boosting productivity to enabling entirely new ways of working. But as this transformation gathers pace, it is essential that no organisation or worker is left behind. Today’s report makes clear that while adoption of AI across Irish workplaces is accelerating and the overall potential is significant, the real priority must now be on people – ensuring they have the skills, confidence and support needed to engage with the technology effectively.
“This is precisely why a central pillar of the new National Digital and AI Strategy, Digital Ireland – Connecting our People, Securing our Future is not only to accelerate the uptake of digital and AI solutions across businesses, but to invest in our people. We are committed to equipping our workforce with the skills needed to thrive in an AI-enabled future, through agile and accessible upskilling and reskilling opportunities,?ensuring that individuals and businesses across Ireland can fully share in the benefits of this transformation.”
Early returns are visible; however, budgets and readiness are under pressure
Irish organisations are beginning to see tangible benefits from AI adoption: two in five business leaders (40%) report cost reductions linked to AI, and the same proportion cite improved employee productivity. But value capture is still inconsistent. 72% of Irish executives say at least some of their AI budget is wasted, and 35% say AI has delivered little to no positive impact on profit and loss so far.
Looking ahead, readiness for agentic AI remains low: 54% of executives say their organisation is not ready to integrate AI agents with core enterprise systems. Executives identify data security (37%) and regulatory concerns (32%) among the biggest barriers to scaling AI, alongside shortages of skilled talent (26%).
Denis Hannigan, AI & Data Lead, Accenture in Ireland, added: “Our research shows that 22% of Irish workers now use generative AI tools daily, nearly three times the level seen in 2024. Employees appear to be moving faster than their organisations, creating a growing gap between day?to?day use and meaningful change in how work is done.
“To move from experimentation to impact, AI needs to be built into everyday operations, supported by clear guidance for employees, stronger core technology systems, and sustained investment in reskilling. That’s where the real value lies.”
Accenture’s research shows that unlocking AI’s economic potential requires coordinated reinvention across five dimensions:
Strategy: Aligning AI investment with clear business outcomes
Work: Redesigning workflows so AI can execute end-to-end processes
Workforce: Equipping people to lead AI-enabled operations
Digital Core: Connecting data and systems to support AI at scale
Safety and Security: Embedding governance and controls in the tech stack, to enable trusted deployment
Organisations acting across all five dimensions are more than four times as likely to scale AI successfully as those focusing in one area alone, the report finds.