Irish Companies Lag US in Responsible AI Adoption, PwC Report Finds
A PwC report reveals that responsible AI practices in Ireland are significantly behind the US, with few Irish companies establishing necessary governance. Only 19 per cent of Irish firms prioritize responsible AI across their organisation, compared to 28 per cent in the US. Key barriers include scaling principles into operations and insufficient resource allocation.
A PwC report indicates that responsible artificial intelligence (AI) practices in the Republic of Ireland are «in their infancy» compared to the US. Few Irish companies have established the necessary governance and operating discipline for scalable responsible AI, with resourcing identified as a key hurdle. Autonomous AI agents will reshape AI governance, but Ireland's pace will be slower than the US, and most Irish companies are not fully prepared for the EU AI Act.
The study, comparing Irish business leaders' progress to earlier PwC US research, defines responsible AI as ensuring AI is useful, innovative, safe, secure, fair, transparent, and accountable. While 77 per cent of Irish respondents have begun their journey towards responsible AI governance (US: 82 per cent), only 19 per cent consider it a business priority across the organisation (US: 28 per cent). Irish organisations trail US counterparts in anchoring responsible AI at leadership levels and integrating it consistently into operating models.
Irish firms significantly lag US peers in governance execution across all measured dimensions, including consistent standards, ownership, and employee training. Only 23 per cent of Irish respondents rate their organisation as «very effective» at implementing responsible AI, compared to 49 per cent in the US. Specific gaps include technology development standards (Ireland: 16 per cent; US: 52 per cent), communication of priorities (Ireland: 21 per cent; US: 52 per cent), employee training (Ireland: 14 per cent; US: 49 per cent), risk-based approaches (Ireland: 33 per cent; US: 47 per cent), and clear roles (Ireland: 28 per cent; US: 52 per cent).
The primary barrier for over three-quarters of Irish respondents is the difficulty in scaling responsible AI principles into operations, significantly higher than the US (50 per cent). Lack of clarity on ownership (Ireland: over one-third; US: 20 per cent) and lack of tools (Ireland: 30 per cent; US: 37 per cent) are also significant. Nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of Irish respondents believe their organisation's resource allocation for responsible AI is insufficient (US: 29 per cent).