Outputs From WIIS 2 

 GenAI Use in Work: its reach, effects, risks and limits: Press Release​​​

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Nearly a third of workers in Ireland now use AI at work, but the gains are going to employers, not staff, new study finds

Dublin/Belfast, 7th, September, 2026

 

Generative AI has moved from novelty to being an everyday work tool for almost 30% of workers across the island of Ireland, according to the most comprehensive study of its kind. But the new report reveals that AI adoption is strongly divided by education, occupation, gender, earnings and firm size with employers capturing most of the productivity benefits for themselves.

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The findings come from the Working in Ireland Survey (WIIS) 2025, a large-scale survey administered to 4,300 workers in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, led by Prof. John Geary from University College Dublin (UCD) and carried out by researchers at UCD, Queen's University Belfast, the Nevin Economic Research Institute and Comillas Pontifical University, Madrid.

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A steep divide

While the adoption of AI among workers in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is substantial and is comfortably above European averages, adoption is deeply and consistently unequal. Workers with postgraduate degrees are up to 15 times more likely to use AI than those with basic educational qualifications. In the Republic, adoption rises from just 8.5% among workers whose net annual earnings are less than €15,000 to 73.8% among those earning €110,000 or more, a near ninefold gap. Professional and managerial staff are five to six times more likely to be using AI than those in caring, trades or process/machine roles.

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Large firms are more than 1.6 times as likely as small firms to have GenAI-using workers.

 

There is also a considerable gender gap in AI use. Males are considerably more likely than females to use multiple AI tools in their work. This finding has important implications for equitable access to AI-related skills and productivity gains in the workplace.

 

Who benefits?

Perhaps the report's most striking finding concerns who captures the value AI creates. Most workers who save time using AI say they reinvest that time to take on more work, rather than using it to achieve a better work life balance. A third of workers report the pace of their work has intensified and very few, a mere 4.7%, report any increase in their earnings as a result of using AI.

 

Will AI lead to job losses?

While the evidence is mixed and complex, the warning signs are clear. Almost half of AI using workers who indicate that they save time by using AI tools in their work, say they use the time saved to undertake more routine, repetitive job tasks. This is job automation which risks leading to job displacement: if AI permits a worker to do more repetitive work usually performed by a colleague, that colleague may no longer be necessary.

 

However, the other half of AI users who derive time savings from using AI, redirect the time saved to undertake more complex and creative job tasks. In these instances, AI use might be fairly claimed to benefit workers in that it enlarges their responsibilities into new more challenging and fulfilling areas. Here, it acts to complement rather than to substitute for higher-order human judgement and creativity.

 

“All in all”, the authors of the report say that, “while the productivity gains from AI adoption are considerable, and some workers stand to benefit, the AI dividend at this point is being predominantly captured by employers and not by workers.”

 

Training left behind

Despite the pace of adoption, training provision has not kept up. Fewer than half of employees (42.8% in the Republic of Ireland, 37.7% in Northern Ireland) have received any employer training in GenAI. The majority of users have simply taught themselves. Where training is provided, it's often minimal: almost 60% of trained workers in the Republic report less than a full day's instruction. Training on AI's risks and limitations is rated notably worse than training on its benefits, a gap the researchers say leaves workers “better equipped to use GenAI productively than responsibly.”

Governance is similarly patchy: only around half of employees in the Republic, and just over a third in Northern Ireland, work for organisations that possess an official policy on AI use.

 

Implications for policy

Finally, the report points to gaps between the regulatory aspirations of the state, including the EU, and the reality of AI adoption and fair use in the workplace. Closing that gap will require sustained and coordinated effort from policy-makers to engage with AI companies, employers and civil society organisations, including workers’ representatives. It will necessitate investment in training that builds genuine competence rather than nominal compliance; governance frameworks that protect workers as well as organisations; and deliberate choices about how the economic gains from AI are to be shared.

 

The authors conclude, “In all of this, it is critically important that we acknowledge that the future of work is not preordained by AI adoption. AI isn’t coming for our jobs, but it may if we allow it. We need an open civic society conversation about the benefits and risks of AI, and an acknowledgement of workers’ rights to shape its use and effects.”

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Commenting on the report’s launch the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke said:

 

I am pleased to see the publication of the Working in Ireland Survey 2025, which provides a comprehensive picture of the growing impact of AI on workplaces across the island of Ireland. The findings demonstrate that AI is an increasingly important feature of how people work, learn and do business across a wide range of sectors.

 

As Ireland continues to position itself as a leader in digital innovation, it is vital that the adoption of AI is both responsible and inclusive. AI has significant potential to enhance productivity, drive innovation and support economic growth. At the same time, the report highlights the importance of addressing the challenges associated with technological change, including the concerns around labour market disruption, the need to ensure that workers are equipped with the skills required to adapt and that the benefits of AI are shared evenly across the workforce and throughout society.

 

The findings align closely with the vision set out in the Government's Digital Ireland strategy, which aims to help Ireland harness the opportunities presented by AI while supporting workers and businesses to navigate this period of transition. This report will help inform the ongoing development of evidence-based policy in this rapidly evolving area, to support a skilled, inclusive and future-ready workforce.

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In welcoming the publication of the report, which DETE co-funded, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth observed:

 

The report provides valuable insights into how AI is already transforming workplaces across Ireland. The report highlights the opportunities AI presents to boost productivity, innovation and competitiveness, while also underlining the importance of ensuring that the benefits of AI are broadly shared across the workforce and that all workers have the skills needed to participate in and benefit from this transformation.

 

At the heart of the Government’s new National Digital & AI Strategy, published in February, is a commitment to support workers through access to high-quality upskilling and reskilling opportunities. Through initiatives such as the online skilling platform AIready.ie, flexible AI-focused training programmes, the development of a Roadmap for Technology Skills of the Future, and the planned National Skills Observatory, we are helping workers and businesses prepare for the opportunities ahead.

 

This research makes an important contribution to our understanding of how AI is reshaping work and highlights areas where further progress is needed, particularly around training and workplace preparedness.

 

The future impact of AI will depend not only on the pace of adoption, but on the choices we make around skills, training and inclusion. The Government is committed to ensuring that the benefits of AI are shared across the workforce and throughout the economy.

 

Also welcoming the publication of the findings which her Department also co-funded, Economy Minister in Northern Ireland, Dr Caoimhe Archibald said: 

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This important research provides valuable insight into how AI is transforming workplaces across the island of Ireland. While the findings highlight the significant opportunities AI presents to boost productivity and drive economic growth, they also reinforce the need to tackle inequalities in access, skills and training.

 

My Department is committed to ensuring people and businesses have the skills and capabilities needed to succeed in the future economy, while helping to ensure that technological change delivers benefits for workers, businesses and society as a whole.

 

Notes to editors:

Fieldwork conducted 15 May – 28 August 2025 by Ipsos B&A.

 

For interviews, contact: John Geary at john.geary@ucd.ie or Dr María Belizón at mjbelizon@comillas.edu