Responsible AI not a priority for Irish businesses, says study

Research also finds overwhelming majority not prepared for EU AI Act obligations

Four out of five Irish businesses say responsible AI is not a prioirty, while the overwhelming majority are not prepared for the upcoming EU AI Act, a new study published on Tuesday has found.

Four out of five Irish businesses say responsible AI is not a prioirty, while the overwhelming majority are not prepared for the upcoming EU AI Act, a new study published on Tuesday has found.

Responsible AI is defined as making sure AI is useful and innovative while also being safe, secure, fair, transparent, and accountable. The PwC Ireland responsible AI study found that most (77%) of Irish respondents say they are starting the journey towards responsible AI and AI governance practices but less than a fifth (19%) say it is a business priority right across the organisation - nearly two-thirds (65%) of Irish respondents said allocation of resources to responsible AI and AI governance was insufficient.

"The study highlights that in Ireland the process of gaining responsible AI has not yet moved to enterprise-wide adoption with full scale governance and regulatory readiness," said PwC Ireland chief operating officer David Lee. "Organisations struggle most with turning high-level responsible principles into repeatable, scalable operational practices. Resourcing constraints, unclear ownership and insufficient tooling are slowing progress, even where leadership recognises the importance of responsible AI."

The report found fewer Irish organisations compared to US counterparts have reached the point where responsible AI is anchored at leadership level and carried consistently through the operating model.

Not ready for EU AI Act obligations

The research also found that EU AI Act readiness by Irish organisations is an area where preparation has fallen behind. The Act regulates AI systems according to the risks they pose, and any Irish company that uses AI — even internally — must comply with the Act. The AI Act is being enforced in phases with full implementation by 2027, and penalties including fines for failure to adhere. Just 14% of Irish respondents confirmed that their organisation is fully prepared to comply with the EU AI Act. A further 70% said that they are partially prepared. Key challenges Irish organisations have encountered in preparing for EU AI Act compliance were limited internal expertise (53%), budget/resource constraints (37%), and lack of clarity about EU AI Act requirements (30%).

Mr Lee said despite the challenges, attitudes towards responsible AI are shifting in Irish businesses. "The leading firms increasingly see responsible AI as a strategic business enabler, delivering tangible value through stronger trust, reduced regulatory risk, improved customer experience and better returns on AI investment," he said.

The overall study was conducted amongst Irish business leaders and the results compared to similar earlier PwC US research. Just 16% of Irish respondents said that they rate their organisation as ‘very effective’ in AI development and deployment standards compred to 52% in the US. Other areas with a significant AI governance execution gap include: communication of responsible AI priorities (Ireland: 21%; US: 52%); employee training (Ireland: 14%; US: 49%), applying a risk-based approach to AI governance (Ireland: 33%; US: 47%), and having clear roles and responsibilities (Ireland: 28%; US: 52%).

PwC Ireland data and AI partner Keith Power said: “The study highlights a clear next phase for Irish organisations: scaling responsible AI and shifting towards full enterprise-wide adoption, underpinned by targeted investment in skills, governance capability and scalable execution models to keep pace with regulatory demands and rapidly evolving AI technologies.”