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Key trends about AI agents in the enterprise
As Irish organisations look to the future, AI agents are emerging as key drivers of productivity and cost savings but are only being used for very early stages of fundamental transformation. PwC Ireland’s survey examining the adoption and trends of AI agents reveals that while Irish organisations are increasing investment and seeing early gains, most are still in the initial stages of adoption. Data issues, mindset, change readiness and employee adoption are some of the greatest barriers to realising value from AI agents. However, trust in the use of AI agents across a range of business areas including financial transactions and customer interactions remains low.
At the same time, over nine out of ten Irish organisations have already started their agentic AI journey with the majority planning to boost their AI-related budget due to interest in agentic AI. However, few are using AI agents to fundamentally rethink their operating model and how work gets done. Irish organisations have some way to go to catch up with their US counterparts across a range of agentic AI-related areas.
These are some of the key findings from PwC Ireland’s 2025 survey on AI agents, a comprehensive new study examining the adoption and trends of AI agents across Irish organisations and comparing the results to a similar PwC US survey. The results highlight a pivotal opportunity for Irish organisations to accelerate their AI journey and future-proof their operations if they can address the factors needed to build trust in the technology.
Investment in AI agents is set to increase, but the pace of adoption at scale is slow
Irish organisations are accelerating their investment in AI agents, with 70% planning to increase their AI-related budget due to interest in agentic AI (US: 88%) in the year ahead. This signals the growing momentum among Irish organisations to scale their AI capabilities.
AI budget increases due to agentic AI
Q: Over the next 12 months, how much is your team or business function planning to increase its AI-related budget due to interest in agentic AI? (Select one.)
Source: PwC's AI Agent Survey
Source: PwC's AI Agent Survey
Yet despite this investment momentum, less than one in ten (9%) Irish respondents reported broad adoption of AI agents, significantly below US counterparts (52%), with a further 83% reporting limited adoption or are exploring AI agents (US: 42%). When compared to earlier PwC Ireland data, there is a positive shift of the dial — albeit small. PwC Ireland’s Gen AI Business Leaders survey, published in January 2025, reported that just 6% of Irish firms had widespread AI adoption. A further 67% of respondents said that they were either at the testing or partial implementation stages of AI adoption.
AI agent Adoption
Q: Which of the following best describes how AI agents are being adopted across your company? (Select one.)
Source: PwC's AI Agent Survey
Source: PwC's AI Agent Survey
At the same time, PwC’s survey of AI agents revealed that over half (53%) of Irish respondents confirmed measurable productivity gains from AI agents (US: 66%), but only 38% said that this translated into tangible cost savings (US: 57%). This gap suggests that while Irish organisations are committing resources, many have yet to unlock the full strategic value of AI agents. It also highlights the continued challenge of converting the personal productivity gains enabled by AI into enterprise productivity gains that positively impact the bottom line.
How AI agents delivering value
The transformative potential is clear, but most are at the early stages
Over half (53%) of Irish business leaders believe that AI agents will deliver a significant competitive advantage in the year ahead (US: 73%), but most are still at the early stages of transformation. Underscoring the potential of AI agents, nearly three out of ten (29%) Irish organisations believe that their operating model will materially change in two years due to AI agents (US: 50%). The findings highlight a clear opportunity for Irish organisations to accelerate adoption and fully realise the transformative potential of agentic AI.
At the same time, the survey highlights that the impact to date of AI agents on innovation, profitability and business transformation remains limited. For example, just 16% of Irish respondents are developing new agentic products and services (US: 44%), a similar proportion (16%) said that AI agents are delivering improved profitability (US: 39%); and the generation of new revenue streams remains embryonic in the Irish marketplace (Ireland: 4%; US: 29%). Just 11% are redesigning processes around AI agents (US: 42%).
AI agents set to reshape the workforce, but a fundamental rethink of how work gets done is needed
According to the survey, the power of AI agents is set to reshape the workforce — but a fundamental rethink is needed. Organisations that invest in upskilling and redesigning work around AI agents will be better positioned to lead transformation and attract the talent needed to scale. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Irish respondents are of the view that AI agents will reshape the workplace more than the internet did (US: 75%). Nearly half (44%) said that AI agents will drastically transform many existing roles in their organisation within the next 12 months (US: 67%). However, just 18% reported to be fundamentally rethinking their operating model and how work is done due to AI agents, compared to 45% in the US.
Agentic AI presents a clear opportunity to rethink how work gets done, but many organisations have yet to fully embrace the scale of reinvention required to remain competitive and resilient.
Data issues need to be addressed if AI opportunity is to be maximised
Irish respondents reported data issues (40%) to be the top barrier getting in the way of realising value from AI agents, significantly ahead of US counterparts (24%). Integrating AI agents with legacy systems (Ireland: 36%; US: 24%) is also more pronounced in Ireland. Together, these challenges point to the foundational importance of modernising data infrastructure and ensuring responsible data practices necessary to build trust in the technology and unlock the full potential of agentic AI.
Challenges to realising value from AI agents
Q: What challenges are getting in the way of realising value from AI agents? (Ranked in top-3.)
Source: PwC's AI Agent Survey
Source: PwC's AI Agent Survey
Mindsets are holding back AI agents
In our experience, right now people are also holding back the wider adoption of AI. When it comes to AI agents, mindsets are often a key hurdle. And that’s exactly where the opportunity lies. Some of the real challenges are also those that were ranked towards the bottom of the list of challenges in the survey and are rooted in people and organisational change. These include: the ability to connect AI agents across applications and workflows (Ireland: 16%, US: 19%), organisational change keeping pace with AI advancements (Ireland: 13%, US: 17%) and employee adoption (Ireland: 4%, US: 14%). Irish organisations must therefore prioritise workforce engagement, upskilling and change management to overcome these barriers.
Broadening of focus to include front office transformation
The survey suggests a broadening of focus from an initial back-office automation focus to include front-office transformation. For example, Irish respondents confirmed that customer service support is the top business function in which AI agents are applied (49%), followed by operations (38%) and finance and accounting (38%).
Just three out of ten (29%) Irish organisations are using AI agents in their sales and marketing function (US: 54%). At its core, AI is a prime tool for content creation and, therefore, an ideal use case from which to derive value in this area.
AI agent use by business function
Q: In which of the following business functions is your company currently using or planning to use AI agents in the next 6 months? (Select all that apply.)
Source: PwC’s AI Agent Survey
Source: PwC’s AI Agent Survey
AI agents: a powerful tool in cyber defence, but full potential not being realised
Less than one in three (29%) Irish respondents said that they are using AI agents for cyber defence (US: 53%). Just 4% are improving their ability to detect and prevent cyber threats using AI agents (US: 29%). PwC’s 2026 Digital Trust Survey showed that more than one third (35%) of organisations globally are prioritising agentic AI as a security capability over the next 12 months, highlighting its growing role in safeguarding data, systems and decision-making.
Trust is key to unlocking high stakes potential
Trust in AI agents among Irish organisations remains low, both in absolute terms and when compared with the US, with only 7% expressing high trust across multiple functions and activities (US: 28%). For example, none of Irish respondents reported to highly trust AI agents to conduct financial transactions (US: 20%); just 4% reported to trust them to act autonomously in customer interactions (US: 25%); and only 7% trust AI agents to analyse data and generate insights (US: 38%). For Irish organisations, building trust through transparency, oversight and robust governance will be essential in the months ahead.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead, the survey findings suggest that Irish organisations are at a pivotal moment. As early productivity gains are realised, we expect adoption to broaden beyond core operational functions, with a growing focus on innovation, new product development and strategic decision-making.
To keep pace with global leaders, Irish organisations should prioritise upskilling, invest in change management and benchmark their progress against industry peers. Building trust through responsible AI practices and transparent governance will be essential, especially for high stakes applications.
By taking these steps, Irish organisations can accelerate their AI journey and unlock sustainable growth in an increasingly tech-powered economy.
Five moves to accelerate your AI journey
Expert support for every step of the way
Navigating the opportunities and challenges of agentic AI can be complex. At PwC, we work alongside organisations to accelerate AI adoption, build trust through responsible AI practices and deliver measurable business value.
Our teams bring together global insights and local expertise to support you at every stage, from strategy and governance to workforce upskilling and change management. We’re committed to helping you overcome barriers and realise the full potential of agentic AI.
If you’d like to discuss your AI strategy or explore how agentic AI can drive value for your organisation, please get in touch. We’re ready to help you take the next step.If you’d like to discuss your AI strategy or explore how agentic AI can drive value for your business, please get in touch. We’re ready to help you take the next step.
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