As companies push to implement AI, the early returns have been uneven. But PwC’s Irish Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2025, with responses from over 1,000 employees across 27 sectors, offers clear and compelling evidence about the technology’s potential to improve employee performance.
Across all industries, 43% of workers have used AI in the last 12 months. Most of these users are already seeing the benefits: 67% say AI is increasing productivity and enhancing the quality of their work. A smaller group, 10%, use AI tools daily at work. And this group of frequent users is even more likely to report a positive impact from the technology over the past 12 months and the coming three years.
The challenge for many companies now is to bring the rest of the workforce along. Here’s where they should start:
1. Be candid about what you know, and don’t know
Employees have a lot of anxiety about how AI will impact their work. Although employees are more likely to have positive feelings rather than negative feelings about the technology, a sizeable minority still have concerns: 25% of employees are worried about AI, and 22% are confused. Management transparency can go a long way towards reducing these fears and building trust. Leaders need to acknowledge the limitations of their foresight and the scale of the technological forces at work.
That’s particularly true for entry-level workers, nearly one-third of whom are worried to a large or very large extent about AI’s impact on their future. For those workers in particular, leaders can build credibility and trust during recruiting and onboarding by being open about the potential of AI to increase productivity and the uncertainty it brings about the future of the workforce. Openness won’t create security, but it can pave the way for shared understanding and solutions.
2. Build trust in the technology
The implementation phase of AI gives companies a chance to reassure workers that the technology is reliable, accurate, and fair. Trust-based AI strategies encompassing responsible design, strong governance, and robust cybersecurity will be critical for AI to achieve its potential in helping companies perform better.
3. Create a clear vision of the future
Employees are more motivated when they understand their organisation’s goals and believe they’re attainable. Leaders trying to take their workforce into the future should create a vivid picture of what the company will look like a few years from now and describe how those outcomes relate to employees’ day-to-day work and longer-term career development.
4. Invest to build skills
Given the rapid evolution of relevant skills as AI takes hold in the workplace, creating meaningful upskilling pathways is mission-critical for leaders who want to keep their workforce motivated. PwC’s research shows how important it is to provide resources for experimentation and learning. Employers can guide their workforce towards a set of initial use cases to upskill, which can help them become comfortable with the technology, ignite their curiosity, and empower them to explore its potential further.
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