New research from AI Ireland shows that 74% of Irish businesses are now actively using artificial intelligence and have moved beyond the experimental phase with the technology.
The study is based on a survey of 130 senior business leaders.
A quarter of respondents said they are still piloting AI initiatives, while just 2% said they have yet to start their AI journey.
The research shows that the number one AI goal for companies for the next 12 months is saving money, followed by making staff more productive.
Respondents said that the top blocker holding companies back is technical integration with legacy systems.
According to the survey, 15% of leaders said they simply do not have enough people with the right AI skills.
More than half of respondents said they only allow AI to be used with company data under strict controlled conditions, reflecting deep concerns around data security.
"Ireland is at a tipping point, while 74% of businesses have moved AI into production, a 'readiness gap' persists, with 25% of leaders citing legacy software as their top blocker," said Mark Kelly, Founder, AI Ireland.
"However, 'agentic' AI is clearing this hurdle sooner than expected."
"By interacting with old systems like a human would, tools like Claude's 'computer use' could bypass costly overhauls," Mr Kelly said.
