Irish business leaders grew more excited about AI in August, even as job and security worries rose

The useful part

However, the increased optimism was accompanied by concerns about the impact of the technology on jobs and organisations. advertisement More than half of Irish business leaders surveyed (53%) said they were worried about the impact AI would have on their jobs. A further 53% said they were concerned about how AI was transforming their organisations, compared with an average of 38% across the other markets included in the research.

How it works

• The monthly AI Pulse research was conducted by Opinium among 800 business leaders across Ireland, the UK, Germany and France.
• The research also suggested that perceptions of AI as a business opportunity were strengthening.
• Phil Codd, managing director for Ireland at Expleo, said the monthly changes in the survey showed how quickly attitudes towards AI were evolving.
• "What stands out in this latest AI Pulse data is the gap between enthusiasm for AI and comfort with what it means in practice," Codd said.
• Cyber security was another concern, with 63% of Irish respondents saying they were worried about the risks AI posed to their organisations.

What to take from it

Some 61% of Irish business leaders viewed AI primarily as a business benefit, compared with 54% in July, while one in five viewed it as a business risk. The survey also examined the relationship between content and consumer trust. Some 38% of Irish business leaders said they would lose confidence in a company if its marketing or advertising material appeared to have been produced by AI.

Example or evidence

• July, when Ireland had recorded the lowest levels of optimism across the European markets measured by the AI Pulse.

Details worth keeping

Business leaders become more optimistic about AI despite job concerns.

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