Irish firms boost generative AI use as staff adopt it

More companies in Ireland are encouraging staff to use generative AI at work, according to Deloitte Ireland, which surveyed 1,000 people aged 18 to 75.

Almost half of respondents, 46%, said their employer encourages the use of generative AI, up from 24% a year earlier. At the same time, 65% said they use free external generative AI tools for work or pay for the tools themselves, while only 35% said their employer pays for access.

The results point to a gap between employee behaviour and formal company provision. Workers appear to be adopting widely available tools on their own, even as more employers introduce rules and guidance on acceptable use.

That change is reflected in workplace policy. In the latest survey, 19% of respondents said their company had no policy or guidance on the use of generative AI for work, down from 90% the previous year.

Workplace use

Use of the technology remains strongest outside work. Three-quarters of respondents said they use generative AI for personal reasons, while 42% use it for work and 36% for education.

Searching for information, writing and editing emails, and generating ideas were the three main use cases. The share of people using the tools to look up information rose 12 percentage points year on year, to 56% from 44%.

Deloitte found that 64% actively use AI tools. Passive exposure is even more widespread, with four in five respondents encountering AI in other digital services and platforms.

Nearly two-thirds, 62%, said they had noticed AI-generated web search summaries, while 64% had seen AI-generated content on social media. Another 40% said they come across news articles written by AI.

Generational split

The survey found a clear age divide. More than four in five Gen Z respondents, 83%, said they use generative AI, compared with 76% of Millennials, 57% of Generation X and 33% of people aged 60 to 75.

The pattern suggests awareness of the technology is broad, but regular use is concentrated among younger workers. It also highlights the challenge for employers trying to introduce common practices across workforces with very different levels of familiarity and confidence.

Separate Deloitte research on Irish business leaders identified talent as the main barrier to embedding AI more widely. In that study, 84% cited skills gaps as the biggest challenge.

Lynn Guilbaud, Technology, Media & Telecommunications Leader at Deloitte Ireland, said: "Everyone has heard the expression people won't be replaced by AI, but will be replaced by people using it. This is why it's positive to see a growing number of organisations with policies and guidance around its use. This technology isn't just a tool, it's a game-changer that can revolutionise how we work, boosting efficiency, unlocking new levels of productivity and fundamentally transforming the competitiveness of organisations that embrace it."

She added: "But this won't happen overnight. To harness AI's potential, organisations need to invest in ongoing training and support, guiding their teams every step of the way."

Trust questions

The survey also suggests a persistent level of trust in AI output that has changed little over the past three years. More than one-third of generative AI users said they believe AI always produces factually accurate responses, with the figure at 35% in 2023 and 34% in both 2024 and 2025.

A similar pattern appears in perceptions of bias. Some 31% of users in 2023 said they believed the technology's responses were unbiased, compared with 28% in 2024 and 32% in 2025.

Those findings come as AI-generated material becomes more visible across search, social media and news. Wider exposure may be normalising AI-produced content even as concerns around reliability, privacy and data security remain unresolved.

Colm McDonnell, Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications at Deloitte Ireland, said: "Our Deloitte survey reveals a fascinating trend of young professionals leading the charge in adopting AI, highlighting the need for tailored training that speaks to different generations and skill levels."

He added: "While concerns around privacy and data security are valid, one way to manage these risks is by promoting the use of company-approved AI tools. With nearly two-thirds of respondents already using free or personally paid-for AI platforms, it's clear teams are eager to innovate. Now it's up to organisations to fuel that enthusiasm with the right tools, training, and trust."