Irish businesses embrace AI but privacy concerns grow

Press release

Irish businesses embrace AI but privacy concerns grow

09 Sep 2025

Irish business confidence in AI surges 22 pts in six months - but privacy fears remain

• Grant Thornton’s International Business Report (IBR) finds number of business executives calling AI “over-rated” has halved in just six months 
• Half of firms (up from 37%) now have formal staff policies for tools such as ChatGPT
• Despite the shift, six in ten executives are still wary of uploading sensitive data to generative-AI platforms 

09 September 2025, Dublin, Ireland: Irish medium-sized businesses’ perception of artificial intelligence has shifted considerably over the past six months, according to Grant Thornton’s International Business Report (IBR). The IBR, which provides insights into the attitudes of 10,000 mid-market businesses across 32 countries, including Ireland, found the proportion of Irish executives branding AI “over-rated” has plunged from 45% to 23%, signaling a decisive move from hype to hands-on adoption.

Over the same period, firms have hurried to put rules in place: more than half (53% in Q2) now require staff to follow an AI-usage policy when using Gen AI such as ChatGPT, spiking from 37% just six months ago. Nevertheless, enthusiasm is tempered by a persistent concern over data security. Six in ten of the executives surveyed say they worry about employees entering sensitive information into generative-AI platforms. 

The research also reveals a sharp improvement in companies’ ability to spot practical applications for AI. Only a fifth (22%) of mid-sized companies now cite “difficulty determining productive uses” as a challenge, down from almost half (48%) six months ago. At the same time, privacy has surged to become the leading barrier to adoption of AI tools.

58% of Irish executives noted privacy as the key challenge their organisation faces in adopting AI (up from 35%, six months previous). This underlines a real paradox: businesses are more confident in AI’s potential, yet more anxious about how it handles information.

Shane O’Neill, Technology and Digital Consulting Partner, Grant Thornton, said:

Over the past six months we’ve heard that Irish mid-size businesses are shifting from cautious experimentation to confident deployment of AI. Executives are no longer debating whether the technology is ‘over-hyped’. They’re writing policies, training staff and embedding tools into day-to-day operations. That practical focus is driving productivity gains, particularly in data analysis, customer support and internal knowledge-sharing.

“But optimism alone won’t close the trust gap. Until organisations can guarantee that sensitive data fed into AI systems remains secure and compliant, adoption will continue to bump against serious privacy concerns. We believe the winners here will be those firms that treat governance and transparency as strategically important: investing in building clear policies and communicating openly with employees and customers about how information is used.” 

ENDS

About Grant Thornton's International Business Report (IBR)

The Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) is the world’s leading mid-market business survey. Launched in 1992, IBR provides deep analysis and insight into the views and expectations of thousands of business leaders globally.

The research runs quarterly, interviewing senior executives within mid-market organisations across 32 economies, from all industry sectors, including 101 from Ireland. Questionnaires are translated into local languages and fieldwork is undertaken through a mixed methodology, including online and telephone platforms. The Q2 research was conducted between 25 April and 4 June 2025. The Q4 research was conducted between 8 October and 18 November 2024.

About Grant Thornton

Grant Thornton is a leading multinational professional services firm in Ireland, with approximately 2,800 people in offices across the island of Ireland, Bermuda, Isle of Man and Gibraltar. Our tax, audit and advisory teams work with organisations across sectors including technology, insurance, asset management, banking, life sciences, and aviation, as well as the public sector. We deliver practical solutions to help organisations achieve their goals, while maintaining our position as a leader in sustainability through long-term value creation, ethical practices and positive social impact.

In 2025, Grant Thornton Ireland formed a multinational, multidisciplinary platform with Grant Thornton US. The platform offers transatlantic advisory and tax services as well as independent audit practices in the US and Ireland. With combined revenues of over $2.7 billion, the platform has expanded to comprise approximately 13,500 professionals across nearly 60 offices stretching from the Americas across Europe to the Middle East, delivering comprehensive client solutions through expertise and technology while enjoying unique cross-border opportunities.

As a member of Grant Thornton International - a global network of more than 73,000 passionate people across more than 150 countries - we bring local knowledge, national expertise and global presence to help businesses succeed, wherever they’re located.

The audit practice in Ireland operates under an alternative practice structure (APS) similar to Grant Thornton in the US, which conforms with applicable laws, regulations and professional standards, including those from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. 

“Grant Thornton” refers to the brand under which the member firms in the Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL) network provide services to their clients and/or refers to one or more member firms. Grant Thornton Ireland serves as the Irish member firm of the GTIL network. GTIL and its member firms are not a worldwide partnership and all member firms are separate legal entities. Member firms deliver all services; GTIL does not provide services to clients.

Experts / Authors

Shane O'Neill

Shane joined Grant Thornton Ireland in 2021 as Head of Technical Change within the consulting practice, leading large scale enterprise change programs in the banking sector.