As we head into a new year that is likely to see billions of dollars invested in AI once again, Robert Byrne, Technology Data and AI Partner at PwC Ireland shares his predictions for 2026.
Few companies are realizing incredible value from AI, including rapid growth and valuation premiums. Many other companies expect a return on investment, but the results are modest: increased efficiency, increased production capacity, and overall productivity gains. These things pay for themselves, but they don't lead to transformation or big profits.
That's starting to change. Success was clearly visible. See what happens when you use AI to build cutting-edge operating models. Examples of the impact are growing across many areas of business.
In Ireland, companies are moving from experimentation to implementation, but progress has been uneven. While productivity gains are clear, reducing costs, improving profitability, reliability, and governance remain challenges. Real results require massive change and disciplined execution. AI success in 2026 will depend on strategy, benchmarking, rethinking the workforce, and responsible AI.
Here, we highlight PwC's AI predictions for 2026, based on PwC's research and experience and focusing on practical implications for transforming business value.
AI success comes from focused bets
By 2026, agent AI, which makes autonomous decisions through intensive investment, is expected to play an increasingly important role in business. According to PwC's AI Agents Survey, more than half (53%) of Irish participants see clear productivity gains from AI agents, but only 38% see real cost savings, lagging behind US participants. The challenges are significant. 40% cited data issues as the main hurdle, and 36% believe it will be difficult to connect AI agents to existing systems.
These obstacles highlight why decentralized efforts rarely lead to change. Senior leaders need to choose spots for focused AI investments that will yield significant results. Connecting business objectives to AI capabilities can potentially deliver a high return on investment.
Beyond analysis, AI agents can make autonomous decisions and automate parts of complex, high-value workflows. Areas that are particularly ripe for agents include functions such as demand sensing and forecasting, hyper-personalization, product design, finance, human resources, IT, tax, and internal audit. These are focused big bets that can achieve real value.
Benchmarks distinguish between hype and real agent AI impact
We expect 2026 to be the year that AI agents shine based on real-world benchmarks.
Irish businesses are keen to expand their agent AI, with 70 companies planning to increase their AI budgets by the end of 2026, according to PwC's AI Agent Survey. However, current AI adoption is slow, with only 9 percent reporting widespread use of AI agents, compared to 52 percent in the US and 83 percent in Ireland still under consideration. This gap highlights the need for clear evidence and benchmarks to support investments.
The gap between early adopters and proven results is expected to change in 2026. Now we know what good agent AI looks like. There are proof points such as benchmarks that track value that is important to the business. We expect AI agents to be deployed as part of every new workflow, along with human resources who are trained and incentivized to collaborate with and monitor AI agents.
As specialization fades, AI generalists will redefine their roles
In 2026, we expect to see an increase in demand for AI generalists with a deep understanding of a wide range of tasks who can supervise AI agents and align their work with business growth.
Irish workplaces are already transitioning to AI-driven roles. According to PwC's recent Employee Hopes and Fears survey, 43% of Irish workers have engaged with AI in the past year, with 67% reporting increased productivity.
Encouragingly, 55 people feel they retain control over how technology impacts their work. This is an important foundation for building trust and adoption as the role evolves.
AI agents will be able to perform the specialized tasks of experienced employees. For example, IT may no longer require coders to use a particular language. Instead, you will need engineers who understand both the technical architecture and how to manage AI agents that understand these languages.
In the finance function, AI agents perform tasks such as invoice processing, purchase order matching, and reconciliation, while talent with general finance skills can focus on strategy, revenue growth, and profit expansion.
Responsible AI moves from principles to practice
We expect 2026 to be the year that companies overcome the challenges of responsible AI and develop rigorous and responsible AI practices.
Irish organizations recognize the need for responsible AI, but are grappling with governance and trust hurdles. According to PwC's Digital Trust Insights survey, more than half (52%) of respondents cited unclear risk appetite as a key barrier to using AI for cyber defense, which is higher than the global average. Leader hesitation (42%) and lack of clarity regarding practical application were additional hurdles. These findings highlight why it is important for Irish businesses to embed governance early and clearly define responsibilities.
In many cases, AI agents can perform around half of the tasks currently performed by humans, but this requires new kinds of governance to both manage risk and improve outcomes. Good news. Responsible AI will be able to deliver the value you need, including performance, innovation, and reduced costs and delays.
Business value exists, but investors expect greater transparency
In 2026, AI pilots are expected to “industrialize” innovation and scale business, while investors expect greater transparency in AI strategy and policy.
The very low adoption rate of AI agents in Ireland highlights the importance of orchestration (carefully coordinating different elements of a project) to accelerate impact and move beyond pilots. Companies need the technical expertise to industrialize this innovation and turn ideas into products with continuous monitoring, spotting mistakes, and fine-tuning performance. All of this requires investment.
According to PwC's recent Global Investor Survey, investors are beginning to see tangible evidence of the operational and financial benefits of AI. More than three-quarters (78%) of global investors say they will at least moderately increase their investments in companies pursuing enterprise-wide AI transformation. However, investors are demanding more transparency to inform decision-making, with less than two-fifths (37%) saying their companies fully disclose their AI strategies and policies.
Written by Robert Byrne
Robert Byrne is a Technology Data and AI Partner at PwC Ireland and has 20 years' experience in developing and delivering IT and AI transformation programs specializing in the areas of AI and technology-driven change across a variety of industries.
Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Please sign up for daily briefsSilicon Republic's digest of science and technology news you need to know.
