Irish business leaders grow more wary of AI ethics

Expleo reported a sharp shift in AI sentiment among business leaders in Ireland. Its latest AI Pulse survey found lower trust in the ethical use of AI and greater concern about AI-driven change.

Trust in organisations' ability to use AI ethically fell to 62% in June from 73% in May, according to Expleo's monthly tracker. Over the same period, the share of Irish business leaders concerned about how AI is transforming their organisation rose to 57% from 48%.

The findings suggest a more unsettled view of AI in Irish boardrooms, even as confidence in implementation remains relatively steady. Some 64% of respondents said they were confident in their organisation's ability to use AI successfully, while the overall confidence score in the tracker slipped by one point to 65 out of 100.

The survey also found a drop in the proportion of business leaders who saw AI mainly as a benefit to their business, falling to 51% in June from 64% a month earlier.

At the same time, 23% said they were struggling to get excited about adopting AI in their business, compared with an average of 18% across the other markets surveyed.

The monthly tracker is based on research by Opinium among 800 business leaders across Ireland, the UK, Germany and France, including 200 respondents in each country. In the measure covering trust in ethical AI use, Ireland's June result of 62% compared with an average of 72% across the other markets.

Mixed views

Responses on AI's role in day-to-day work suggested a divided picture. When asked what would happen if AI tools were no longer available, 20% said their work would become more stressful and 21% said it would become more complicated.

Others saw the absence of AI as a relief rather than a setback. Some 18% said their work would become less stressful without AI, while 20% said it would become less complicated.

There were also signs that some respondents now rely materially on the technology. Expleo found that 16% said they would not have enough time to complete their work without AI, 8% said they would be unable to carry out their role altogether, and 18% said it would make no difference.

The figures underline the uneven pace of AI adoption inside organisations, where enthusiasm, reliance and scepticism can coexist. They also suggest perceptions of AI are shaped not only by direct workplace use, but by broader questions of governance and trust.

The month-on-month shift in sentiment shows how quickly attitudes to AI can change. While the headline confidence score was little changed, the underlying indicators moved more sharply, particularly around ethics and organisational impact.

That pattern may matter for senior executives assessing whether staff and leadership teams are aligned on AI strategy. A relatively stable overall confidence reading can mask growing unease about whether organisations are introducing and overseeing the technology in a way employees and managers consider responsible.

Phil Codd, Managing Director - Ireland at Expleo, addressed the volatility in the findings.

"Our data from June demonstrates exactly why we are tracking AI sentiment in Ireland month by month. As we all know, it is a fast-changing technology that is having a profound impact on businesses. On top of that, highly publicised news and events involving some of the world's largest AI companies can have huge sway on people's perceptions. It will be interesting to see how this may play out in our AI barometer going forward," Codd said.

He also pointed to the need for stronger internal controls and oversight.

"In truth, there are people in every organisation who may not trust AI. Much like how we are approaching cybersecurity, CIOs must take a similar approach to AI. It is only with the right, robust governance and assurance in place that they can reassure their leadership teams and people that their AI is not only safe, but has real value for each individual too," Codd said.