GenAI Business Leaders Survey 2025

New research by PwC reveals a surge in innovation and activity to enable AI adoption in the years ahead: 67% of survey respondents confirmed that they are either at the testing or partial implementation stages of AI adoption, up from 47% in June 2024. This innovation and experimentation is enabling businesses to better understand the opportunities that AI and GenAI can bring to their businesses but they are also realising that safe and successful deployment and sustained adoption is a complex process that requires planning and coordination across the organisation.

The considered approach being adopted by Irish businesses is reflected in the survey finding that the level of respondents reporting widespread adoption of AI remains low (6%) and very consistent with previous periods (June 2024: 7%; November 2023: 7%). 

These are some of the key findings from PwC’s GenerativeAI (GenAI) Irish Business Leaders’ survey, published today, highlighting how AI and GenAI are impacting Irish businesses. The research identifies AI and GenAI trends and priorities including adoption, value received, governance, risks and return on investment. This is the third iteration of the research which was previously run in June 2024 and November 2023.  

David Lee, Chief Technology Officer, PwC Ireland, commented: “As evidenced by the marked increase in the reported levels of AI related innovation, the survey highlights that Irish businesses continue to be very engaged in looking to understand the opportunities presented to their business through the adoption of AI. However, the survey results show that business leaders are approaching this in a considered manner. Businesses have worked hard to establish relationships of trust with their staff and customers and they want to ensure that these are sustained on their AI journey. They are learning from their innovation activity to date that the safe and successful deployment and sustained adoption of AI is a complex process that requires planning and coordination across the organisation.

“The findings of the survey are very consistent with our experience in the PwC GenAI Business Centre, enabled by Microsoft. While organisations are interested in understanding the potential for AI to transform their businesses, their immediate focus is on ensuring that the right guide rails - both organisational and technical - are in place before they move beyond innovation to an adoption at scale mindset.

“It is not a surprise that the survey highlights that the current focus of AI related innovation is on efficiency related gains rather than more radical business model reinvention. In our experience, organisations need to build the confidence and trust in the technologies before they are willing to use them as the bedrock for more fundamental transformation.”

Business Leaders continue to be positive on the overall economic impact of GenAI but investment in upskilling required to harness the opportunity

86% of Irish business leaders believe that the overall impact of AI on Ireland’s economy in five years time will be positive, and has steadily increased compared to prior periods of the research (June 2024: 77%; November 2023: 74%). Over half (55%) are of the view that GenAI will have a significant or transformative impact on their business in the next 5 years.  

The outlook from a jobs perspective also remains positive with three-quarters (75%) of business leaders expecting an increase or no net impact on jobs in Ireland as a result of GenAI, up from 55% in June 2024.  

However business leaders also highlight that investment in upskilling is required to get real value from GenAI: nearly three out of four (73%) are of the view that GenAI will require most of their workforce to develop new skills, up from 65% in June 2024. 

Current focus on GenAI activity continues to be on realising efficiencies in operations rather than on revenue generation or as a catalyst for more fundamental business model transformation

While a significant majority (71% - compared to 83% in June 2024) expect GenAI will significantly change the way their organisation creates, delivers and captures value in the next 3 years the current focus continues to be on operational efficiencies and productivity.

There remains a strong belief amongst respondents that GenAI will deliver increased efficiency in their employees time at work (82% compared to 88% in June 2024). However, when the focus moves from potential to actual realised value the numbers fall. 40% reported increased operational efficiencies from AI and GenAI activities, up from 26% in June 2024; and 30% reported increased productivity, up from 28% in June 2024. This reflects, in part, the fact that the majority of organisations are still in the innovation and exploration phase of their GenAI journeys.

In contrast only 13% said that AI and GenAI had enhanced customer experience and the majority of respondents (74% up from 60% in June 2024) continue to question whether GenAI will deliver increased revenue.

Aisling Curtis, Market Leader for Strategic Alliances, PwC Ireland, said: “The findings of the survey are very reflective of our experience with clients in the PwC GenAI Business Centre, enabled by Microsoft. Businesses are investing the time through pilots and innovation to understand how AI and GenAI technologies can be applied to the specifics of their businesses. While the initial focus is on productivity improvements, the real interest lies in the potential to disrupt existing business models. AI Agents will make the ability for AI systems to autonomously perform tasks a reality, delivering real competitive differentiation.” 

Articulating the business case for AI related investments continues to be one of a number of inhibitors to adoption at scale

Business leaders are continuing to struggle to articulate the return on their AI investments. Less than half (46%) of business leaders are confident in their organisation’s ability to assess return on investment from their current AI initiatives, and this has not changed significantly from prior periods (June 2024: 40%; November 2023: 45%). 

Reflective of the pilot nature of most of the current GenAI activities, a sizeable proportion (38%) of survey respondents reported not to have realised any tangible financial return from their AI and GenAI initiatives over the past 12 months, this is similar to prior periods (June 2024: 35%; November 2023: 36%). A further 52% reported that the impact was ‘small’.  

While businesses are reporting greater confidence over GenAI processes and controls, there is still more work to do on trust and governance to ensure safe and secure outcomes

The survey confirms that creating an appropriate environment within businesses to ensure safe and secure outcomes has continued to be an area of focus but that more work is still needed. This is reflective of the overall considered approach being adopted by businesses to ensure that they are adopting GenAI in a manner that is safe, successful and sustainable. 

The survey highlights greater confidence over GenAI processes and controls compared to six months ago. Over half (56%) of business leaders confirmed that their organisation’s processes and controls over GenAI lend themselves to safe and secure outcomes, up from 28% in June 2024. 

However, more needs to be done where trust and governance are concerned: While trending in the right direction, over two-thirds (69%) of Irish business leaders still disagreed that GenAI will enhance their organisation’s ability to build trust with shareholders in the year ahead (June 2024: 74%). Just a fifth (21%) said that their organisation has an AI and/or GenAI governance structure in place, but is up from 7% in June 2024. 

The survey indicates that there will be a significant uplift over the next 12 months in the level activity needed to improve governance of AI systems and controls (Jan 2025: 61%; June 2024: 46%). This is also reflected in the finding that a third (33%) of respondents now have a dedicated AI leader across their business (up from only 7% in June 2024). The survey also indicates that AI is increasingly being viewed as an organisation wide activity. Over half (53%) said that their AI leader sits within the business function, up from 23% in June 2024.  

Less than half (39%) plan to take steps to ensure third-party AI service providers meet the standards. Over a quarter (26%) reported that addressing AI responsibility issues is not part of their 12 month plan. 

EU AI Act welcomed by businesses as important mitigant to to prevent negative impact of AI 

The EU AI Act was enforced in late 2024, aiming to provide legal certainty to promote innovation while ensuring the use of AI is safe and secure. An overwhelming majority (86%) of business leaders welcome the Act saying it is necessary to prevent the potential negative impact of AI, up slightly from 84% in June 2024.

Reflecting this sentiment the survey indicates that there will be a significant uplift over the next 12 months in the level of activity to be compliant with applicable regulation including the EU AI Act (Jan 2025: 67%; June 2024: 40%)

Cybersecurity risk arising from GenAI remains a major concern and is driving a significant uplift in activity to mitigate this risk  

81% of survey respondents agreed that GenAI will likely increase cybersecurity risk in the next 12 months, (down from 91% in June 2024). 67% agreed that GenAI will also likely increase legal liabilities and reputational risks, (down from 79% in June 2024). 60% agreed that GenAI will likely increase the spread of misinformation, (down from 74% in June 2024).  

In this context it is not surprising that half (50%) of survey respondents are planning activity to protect AI and GenAI systems from cyber threats in the next 12 months, up from 32% in June 2024. 

Martin Duffy, Head of GenAI, PwC Ireland, concluded: “Good governance, grounded in an organisation's risk appetite, provides clarity and a safe environment for the business to innovate and explore AI uses. The business can then focus on faster adoption of AI without exposing it to unnecessary or unforeseen risks.  

“With over two-thirds of Irish business leaders not having confidence that GenAI will enhance their organisation’s ability to build trust, and only a small proportion having an AI or GenAI governance structure in place, significant focus on building trust and governance will be critical. The new EU AI Act, which came into force in Ireland in late 2024, is welcomed by the majority of respondents, and provides legal certainty on promoting innovation while ensuring the use of AI is safe and secure. To realise AI’s value responsibly and securely, organisations must establish robust governance frameworks to be able to measure the benefits.”

ENDS

About the survey

The survey was conducted in late 2024 amongst nearly 50 C-suite Irish business leaders including CEOs, heads of finance, heads of technology and heads of risk. The survey aims to obtain a snapshot of how AI and GenAI are impacting Irish businesses, the latest AI and GenAI trends and where the priorities lie. It follows previous similar research published in June 2024 and November 2023.