A survey of Irish business executives found that there is wide variation in AI skills and abilities, with the majority classifying themselves as novice or intermediate users.
The Irish Institute of Directors (IoD) conducted a snap survey of 378 executives on their usage of digital and AI tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot.
Half of respondents identified themselves as intermediate users, and a further 35% were at novice level, indicating widespread engagement but uneven depth of confidence.
The government’s Artificial Intelligence Regulation Bill 2026 has been outlined, but respondents’ readiness appears to be low, with 65% saying they don’t understand what the government’s new AI rules mean for their organizations.
Similarly, 64% of directors believe they and their organizations are unprepared to implement the bill.
However, 78% say AI is important or essential to the competitiveness of their field.
When asked about their reliance on AI-generated summaries of board materials, 76% of respondents said such output complements, not replaces, their personal review of board materials.
Only 6% of people believe that AI Overview can be trusted as a primary tool.
The findings also showed that 61% of organizations already have some/high adoption of AI, and a further 34% are evaluating its future use.
However, only 33% have developed a formal strategy that incorporates the effective use of AI, 43% have just started developing it, and 24% have not developed it yet.
IoD Ireland director Caroline Spillane said the research provided a clear message.
“Ireland’s leaders recognize the transformative potential of AI, but the pace of adoption is outpacing developments in governance, skills and regulatory preparedness.
“With more than half of organizations already using AI tools, boards need to ensure they have the literacy, guardrails, and oversight mechanisms necessary to implement AI responsibly,” Spillane said.
“However, only one-third of respondents have developed a formal strategy that incorporates the effective use of AI, and 43% are currently only beginning to develop their strategy.”
