Confidence in AI increases among businesses in Ireland, but concern still outpaces that of European neighbours

Confidence in AI increases among businesses in Ireland, but concern still outpaces that of European neighbours

Author: Irish Tech News April 22, 2026 Duration: 3:24
Expleo, the global technology and consulting service provider, has announced the results of its AI Pulse sentiment tracker for Ireland. The March survey reveals an overall sentiment score of 65 out of 100 for confidence in AI, up one point since February. While modest, the AI Pulse saw marked boosts in confidence in a number of categories. However, concern in Ireland still remains higher than that of its European neighbours.
Overall, the March results show a clear increase in AI confidence across Irish business leaders since February. The sentiment tracker revealed that concern regarding job security decreased: 35% of Irish business leaders are now worried about the impact of AI on their job, compared to 44% the previous month. At the same time, 69% are confident in their organisation's ability to successfully use AI, an 8% increase since February. Additionally, 61% now view AI as a benefit, rather than a risk, an increase of 7% since last month.
Ireland continues to report the highest level of concern regarding AI among its European peers. While 43% in Ireland are worried about how AI is transforming their organisation, only 35% in the UK expressed the same concern, along with 37% in Germany and 41% in France. A similar pattern can be observed in perceptions of the cybersecurity risks posed by AI, with 60% of Irish business leaders reporting concern, compared to 47% in Germany and 58% in both France and the UK.
Alongside these concerns, the research also highlights clear productivity gains from AI use. However, Irish business leaders report slightly lower time savings, averaging 3.2 hours per week compared to 3.5 hours in the UK.
Commenting on this month's results, Rebecca Keenan, AI & Automation Director, Expleo, said: "The direction of travel is clear – Irish business leaders are becoming more confident in AI, and more convinced of the value it delivers. But confidence alone doesn't create results. The fact that we still record the highest levels of concern across all four markets tells us something important: there is a trust deficit that education and hands-on experience must address. Organisations that close that gap first won't just keep pace with their European peers, they'll outperform them."
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