Irish business leaders wary as AI confidence rises

Expleo has published findings showing rising concern among Irish business leaders about how artificial intelligence is changing their organisations. The survey also recorded its highest confidence score since the tracking study began.

Expleo's AI Pulse survey found that 48% of Irish business leaders were worried about how AI is transforming their organisation, the highest level recorded by the tracker. At the same time, the barometer reached 66 out of 100, its strongest result since the research began in Ireland.

The figures point to a more complex picture of business sentiment as AI adoption widens across Irish organisations. Concern has increased, but so has trust in how companies are using the technology and belief that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Almost three-quarters of respondents, or 73%, said they trusted their organisation to use AI ethically. That marked a shift from earlier results, when Ireland had trailed some other European markets. The latest reading puts it level with France and ahead of the UK, according to Expleo.

Perceptions of value also improved. The survey found that 64% of Irish business leaders now see AI as more of a benefit than a risk, up 10 percentage points from the first wave of research in February.

Questions around oversight and accountability remain central to that view. When asked whether their organisation could demonstrate accountable governance in the event of an AI incident, 69% said they were confident it could.

Mixed sentiment

The findings suggest that AI's growing use in businesses is producing two responses at once: stronger confidence in governance and practical use, alongside deeper unease about the scale of change. That tension was visible not only at organisational level, but also in views of personal impact.

Some 41% of respondents said they were worried about how AI would affect their job, up 5 percentage points from the previous month.

Security concerns also remained high. More than half of those surveyed, or 59%, said they were worried about the risks AI poses to their organisations.

The research covered 200 respondents in Ireland as part of a wider study across Ireland, the UK, Germany and France. Expleo uses the tracker to measure levels of worry, excitement, trust and confidence in the business use of AI on a scale of 0 to 100.

While the latest Irish score suggests confidence is strengthening, the rise in concern may reflect a shift from abstract debate to operational reality. As AI tools become more embedded in workflows, governance, cybersecurity and workforce impact are moving higher up management agendas.

The same pattern is evident in the split between broad support for AI and more specific fears about implementation. Respondents were more likely to say AI brings net benefits, but many still expressed concern about transformation inside their own organisations and the effect on their roles.

For companies operating in Ireland, that combination of views may increase pressure on senior management to demonstrate clear policies on accountability, risk management and ethical use. Trust levels may be rising, but the data indicates that leaders want evidence that controls are in place as deployment spreads.

Phil Codd, Managing Director - Ireland, Expleo, commented: "While the results may seem contradictory, the truth is that worry and confidence are not mutually exclusive. The fact that concern is rising alongside trust and optimism suggests that leaders are engaging seriously with AI rather than shying away from it. At Expleo, what we're seeing on the ground reflects this: excitement, but also a real desire for expertise, consultancy and guidance on governance and successful implementation."