Ireland emerging as global leader in workplace AI adoption
New research from Indeed suggests Ireland is emerging as a global leader in workplace artificial intelligence adoption — but warns of a growing divide between workers who are benefiting from the technology and those at risk of being left behind.
The Indeed Workforce Insights Report, based on a survey of 80,000 workers across eight countries, shows that 70% of employed workers in Ireland use AI at work at least once a month.
That compares with 43% in the United States, 41% in the UK and just 18% in Japan, placing Ireland firmly at the top of the international rankings.
The report highlights the role of employer encouragement as a decisive factor in adoption rates.
In Ireland, 37% of workers say their employer strongly encourages AI use, compared with only 12% in Japan.
Across all surveyed countries, employees whose employers actively promote AI are significantly more likely to use it — with adoption gaps ranging from 28 percentage points in Ireland to 54 points in Japan.
Productivity gains are already being felt by many Irish workers.
Among AI users, 43% report saving one to two hours per day, while a further 44% say they save between three and five hours daily — the highest share in that category across the countries surveyed.
Only a small minority report no time savings.
Globally, more than 80% of AI users say they save at least one hour per day.
Workers typically reinvest this time in additional projects, improving task quality, learning new skills or enhancing work-life balance.
Ireland stands out for the latter: 34% of Irish respondents said they use saved time to improve work-life balance, while 26% focus on learning and professional development and 25% on innovation and creative work.
However, training gaps remain significant.
Nearly six in ten Irish AI users (58%) say they are not receiving enough training, compared with 49% of non-users — suggesting those engaging most with the technology are increasingly aware of skills deficits.
Around 16% of Irish workers are classified as disengaged from AI — rarely using it and seeing no need for training — the lowest proportion among surveyed countries.
Jack Kennedy of Indeed
Disengagement rises with age and is more common in manual and care roles.
Jack Kennedy, senior economist at Indeed, said Ireland is “well positioned to benefit” from AI but warned that “waiting for workers to adapt on their own risks leaving some behind,” emphasising the need for sustained, structured training as AI tools continue to evolve.
