Users deploying AI tools mainly for personal use but increasingly for work tasks.
Two-thirds (67%) of Irish GenAI users say it boosts their productivity at work.
However, less than one-in-four (24%), say their employers actively encourage use of the technology.
“Employees in Ireland are racing ahead of their employers when it comes to GenAI”
The latest Deloitte Digital Consumer Trends report, which surveyed 1,000 Irish workers, shows that 90% of Irish companies lack a GenAI policy and that while GenAI users are more likely to use the technology for personal reasons (69%), the percentage using it for work tasks is up from 32% in 2023 to 36%.
A total of 48% of respondents have used GenAI, an increase from 33% in 2023. Meanwhile, the percentage of those who are not aware of GenAI is down from 38% in 2023 to 27%.
How the AI generation works
Of those using GenAI, 10% are using it daily, 28% are doing so weekly and 15% are using it monthly. A total of 46% are using it less than monthly, with 24% of this cohort saying they don’t know how to use it well and 18% saying they are dissatisfied with the answers they receive.
Use of GenAI is highest among younger people at 85% for those aged 18 to 24, followed by 69% for the 25 to 34 age group and 56% for those aged 35 to 44. Usage then drops significantly to 34% for those aged 45 to 54, 22% for those between 55 and 64 and 20% for those aged 65 to 75.
Most people use GenAI for personal reasons (69%) ahead of professional or work reasons (36%) and for educational purposes (38%).
Of the 67% of users who believe GenAI makes them more productive at work, 44% say they use the technology for writing and editing emails and for looking up information. A total of 42% use it to generate ideas, followed by creating written content (38%), summarising texts and reports (35%), editing (26%), analysing data (25%) and generating images (20%).
When GenAI users were asked if their employer encouraged them to use the technology at work, just 8% strongly agreed with the statement and 16% agreed.
“Employees in Ireland are racing ahead of their employers when it comes to GenAI,” said Emmanual Adeleke, Deloitte Ireland’s GenAI leader.
“This means gains are being left on the table by employers and innovation is being stymied. We’re seeing the wide range of benefits GenAI creates for our clients in Deloitte, such as improved efficiency and productivity, but our survey shows that the vast majority of organisations do not have GenAI policies in place and they are not actively promoting its use or leading on its adoption even though their employees are increasingly using it to complete everyday tasks.
“It is vital employers take the lead on the use of GenAI. They need to invest in initiatives and organisational changes that will drive adoption of GenAI tools and identify successful use cases for their organisations.
“There is a risk in not reacting to the increase in usage, particularly because users are not fully appreciative of the dangers involved as indicated by the level of trust certain users have in GenAI tools, despite well-documented reliability issues. If employers invest properly in GenAI and integrate it correctly, they will uncover the challenges involved and the tremendous potential of this technology.”
AI’s impact on the future of work
The survey showed that uncertainty around GenAI and its impact on future workforces continues to be a concern with 60% of users worried that it will reduce the number of jobs available in the future and 46% concerned that it will replace some of their role in the workforce.
While they are concerned about the potential impact of GenAI on their future, a significant proportion of users trust the technology. A total of 28% of users said GenAI responses were unbiased and 34% agreed that the technology “always produces accurate responses”. This is despite well-documented issues with the reliability of the technology.
The survey also showed that a majority of those who are aware of GenAI would be less inclined to trust AI-generated emails (66%) and AI-delivered customer services (63%).
Meanwhile, ChatGPT remains the most popular GenAI tool among people in Ireland having been used by 49% of GenAI users. This is far ahead of similar products such as Snapchat’s ‘My AI’ (15%), Microsoft Copilot (13%) and Google Gemini (12%). The survey took place prior to the release of DeepSeek’s latest AI model.
“Our survey found that some users are willing to experiment with GenAI, but they are lacking confidence when it comes to knowing how to use it and ultimately find the experience to be unsatisfactory,” Adeleke said.
“Organisations can address this through training and support, ensuring employees can use GenAI to meet their needs and transition into more frequent and more confident users.
“Employers should also consider a tailored approach for GenAI in the workplace that can address the differences in usage among age groups. They can enhance workplace AI tools to boost professional usage, and address age disparities by ensuring that resources and training are accessible to all and building a comprehensive change management strategy to increase the adoption and impact of GenAI tools,” according to Adeleke.
Main image at top: Emmanual Adeleke, Deloitte Ireland’s GenAI leader
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