- Expleo’s September AI Pulse reveals 56% of business leaders are concerned about the cybersecurity risks posed by AI
- Several factors have also negatively affected Irish business leaders’ sentiment towards AI over the past year, including their inability to: address cybersecurity and data protection risks (29%), scale successful AI pilots into wider adoption (20%) and demonstrate measurable business value (18%).
- One in four (25%) now see AI as a business risk, rather than a benefit, up from 20% last month
- Despite this, 71% are excited about the opportunities AI brings to their business and 60% say they are not worried about AI’s impact on their jobs
Dublin, 20 October 2026 – Expleo, the global technology and consulting service provider, today reveals that more than half (56%) of Irish business leaders are concerned about the cybersecurity risks posed by AI. The results, which coincide with Cybersecurity Awareness Month, form part of Expleo’s AI Pulse and highlight growing awareness among businesses of how AI is being used to power more sophisticated cyberattacks.
Expleo’s monthly AI Pulse barometer, carried out by Opinium among 800 business leaders in Ireland, the UK, Germany and France, also found that AI security is eroding confidence among Irish business leaders. Some 29% say their inability to successfully address cybersecurity and data protection risks has negatively impacted their opinion of AI.
The pace at which AI capabilities are evolving is also weighing on sentiment, with 32% reporting that it is having a negative impact, on par with the UK. Meanwhile, 27% say their inability to effectively govern, monitor and manage AI risks have made them more negative, the highest proportion among the European countries surveyed.
Beyond security and risk, Irish businesses are also struggling to turn AI into measurable results. One in five (20%) say their inability to successfully scale AI pilots into wider adoption has negatively affected their AI confidence over the past year and 18% say the same of their inability to demonstrate measurable business value. Perhaps unsurprisingly, one in four (25%) now see AI as a risk rather than a benefit, up from 20% last month.
Business leaders are, however, more confident about human oversight of AI-supported decisions, with 46% saying it has made them more positive about AI than a year ago. Optimism extends more widely too, with 71% excited about the opportunities AI brings and the same proportion trusting their organisations to use it ethically. Meanwhile, 60% say they are not worried about AI’s impact on their jobs, up from 47% last month.
Phil Codd, Managing Director – Ireland, Expleo, said: “The risk of AI-driven cyberattacks has understandably put businesses on edge this month, particularly in the wake of recent data breaches. While impersonation of employees remains a significant risk, AI is also giving attackers many more routes in, enabling them to craft convincing phishing messages at scale and probe systems for weaknesses faster than ever before.
“As such, businesses will be under increasing pressure to prepare and stay ahead of these threats. However, this caution hasn’t dampened the wider appetite for AI. With the majority of leaders still excited about the opportunities it brings, the priority now is to strengthen their cybersecurity strategies, implementing continuous testing to detect and safeguard against AI-driven attacks.”
