Artificial Intelligence is no longer experimental in Irish organisations. In 2026, the conversation has shifted from “Should we use AI?” to “How do we make it work safely, at scale, and with real business value?”

This report captures the reality on the ground – based on a survey of 130 senior AI leaders across Irish enterprises, SMEs and public bodies.

Download the full report below to understand where Irish businesses are succeeding with AI – and where they’re still getting stuck. 

What’s inside the report

Where AI is delivering value

Learn how organisations are using AI to:

• Reduce costs and improve financial efficiency

• Support engineers with code generation and productivity tools

• Shift from reactive to predictive operations and maintenance

• Automate internal workflows such as contract analysis and incident support

Adoption maturity in Ireland

• Why nearly three-quarters of organisations have moved beyond pilots

• What “early production” vs “broad adoption” looks like in practice

• Why progress is often slower than expected – even with strong leadership support

The real blockers leaders face

The report goes beyond surface-level challenges to explore:

• Why technical integration is the single biggest hurdle

• The growing skills and AI literacy gap at leadership level

• Ongoing concerns around security, governance and regulation

Generative AI & private data

Understand how Irish leaders are approaching GenAI safely:

• Controlled use vs sandbox testing vs full production

• Governance, oversight and emerging standards such as ISO 42001

• How organisations are balancing innovation with risk management

Strategic insights for 2026

• A clear view of the emerging “AI readiness gap”

• Practical recommendations for Irish organisations

• A step-by-step AI Leadership Action Plan to move from curiosity to high-value production

Who this report is for

This report is for anyone tasked with turning AI ideas into real-world impact. It is designed for:

• C-suite executives and senior leadership teams

• CIOs, CTOs, Heads of IT, Data, Product and Operations

• Business leaders responsible for AI strategy, governance or delivery

• Public sector and regulated-industry decision makers