- Expleo’s August AI Pulse shows upturn in AI sentiment among business leaders, as 72% express excitement about the technology
- Despite this, 53% harbour concerns about AI’s impact on their job
- 70% are confident that their organisations can use AI both successfully and in an ethical manner
Dublin, 22 September 2026 – Expleo, the global technology and consulting service provider, today announces the August results of its AI Pulse sentiment tracker for Ireland. The data reveals a significant upturn in optimism among Irish businesses leaders when it comes to AI, with 72% saying they are excited about the opportunities it brings, up from 60% in July. Despite this, over half (53%) fear the impact AI will have on their job.
Expleo’s monthly AI Pulse barometer is carried out by Opinium among 800 business leaders in Ireland, the UK, Germany and France. Last month, Ireland emerged as the most pessimistic among its European counterparts across all metrics measured in the AI Pulse. This month, however, business leaders in Ireland showed themselves to be the most excited across all countries when considering the opportunities that AI brings to their organisation.
Yet, while business leaders are showing more positivity about the promise of AI, they displayed concerns over how it is being used in their organisation. Some 53% said they worry about how AI is transforming their organisation, making Ireland by far the most likely country to worry about this, compared to the average of 38% across other markets. Additionally, three in five (63%) are concerned about the cybersecurity risks that AI poses to their organisations. Despite this, 70% trust their organisation to use AI ethically, up from 62% in July.
Following the latest transparency provisions of the EU AI Act, businesses must mark and disclose when certain content has been produced by AI. The AI Pulse shows that this is not only a regulatory issue, but a trust one, too. Almost one in four (38%) of business leaders in Ireland will lose confidence in a company whose marketing or advertising collateral looks or reads like it was produced by AI.
Overall, while scepticism remains, 61% of business leaders in Ireland see AI being primarily a business benefit, compared to 54% in July. One in five deem AI as a risk to business.
Phil Codd, Managing Director – Ireland, said: “August’s data shows why it is so important to measure AI sentiment month-on-month. AI adoption is a rapidly changing space, leaving the attitudes of Irish business leaders evolving just as quickly.
“What stands out in this latest AI Pulse data is the gap between enthusiasm for AI and comfort with what it means in practice. Leaders believe that AI will be good for their businesses, but many are still asking what that transformation will mean for them personally, for their people and for the security of their organisations. Businesses must bring their leadership teams with them on their AI journeys; they are the ones who will become their greatest AI advocates. If company leadership is having doubts, their teams almost certainly are too.”
