New research from Trinity College Dublin and Microsoft Ireland has found that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is freeing up time for companies.
The AI Economy Ireland 2026 report found that mid-sized organisations are gaining up to 1,000 hours a month, rising to 5,000 hours for large multinationals.
It also concludes that AI adoption is now near-universal with 92% of organisations using or planning to use the technology.
According to the research, seven in ten leaders reported reduced workload, with one in three saying AI helps them switch off and 26% report less evening and weekend work.
"AI is already delivering real value for Irish organisations, freeing up thousands of hours a month," said Catherine Doyle, General Manager, Microsoft Ireland.
"The opportunity now is to make sure the benefits are felt equally. That means closing confidence gaps wherever they exist and supporting SMEs to scale from early adoption to full integration," Ms Doyle said.
The survey fieldwork for the report was carried out from December 2025 to January 2026, with senior leaders across 250 organisations in Ireland.
Economic modelling of time savings was based on self-reported time savings, sectoral employment counts, and a 48-week working year.
There are growing concerns about the impact of AI on employment.
A recent study from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found that around 7% of current jobs could be displaced in the short-to-medium term.
This equates to almost 200,000 jobs.
