A new report from engineering, technology and consulting service provider Expleo shows that business leaders are concerned about AI's impact on cybersecurity, ethics and organisational transformation.
Expleo's latest AI Pulse sentiment tracker for Ireland reveals an overall sentiment score of 64 out of 100 for confidence in AI.
The sentiment tracker gauges sentiment towards the use of AI in business, ranging from 0 (very worried) to 100 (very confident). 200 respondents are surveyed from each country across Ireland, the UK, Germany and France.
February's tracker shows that 61% of Irish business leaders are concerned about the cybersecurity risks posed by AI - the highest proportion among the countries surveyed.
Irish business leaders are also the mostly likely to view AI as a risk to their organisation rather than a benefit (28%), compared with the UK (16%), Germany (16%), and France (19%).
Meanwhile, 45% are concerned about how AI is transforming their organisation and 20% do not trust their organisation to use AI ethically, the survey also reveals.
It also shows that while 44% in Ireland are worried about the impact of AI on their own job, concern about jobs grew across all markets in February.
France was the first country to report a majority of business leaders (52%) expressing worry about their jobs due to AI.
Phil Codd, Managing Director - Ireland, Expleo, said that AI has proven to be a powerful driver of efficiency.
But he added that Expleo is seeing many organisations facing challenges in implementing and scaling it.
"The results from the AI Pulse tracker appear to mirror this challenge, highlighting the need for businesses to balance innovation with governance, security, and a robust operational framework," he said.
"At Expleo, we'll be tracking these shifts carefully with each monthly update to ensure our clients are well-positioned to navigate these challenges effectively," he added.
