Over half of Irish HR professionals now investing in AI

AI investment by Irish HR teams surged 38% year-on-year, rising from 37% in 2024 to 51% in 2025 according to new research from leading European HR solutions provider SD Worx. Predictive performance management (31%), personalised learning paths (29%), and automated CV screening (27%) are leading the charge in Irish HR AI investment. 

 

AI use is also growing rapidly among HR employees themselves well over a quarter of employees (28% of employees) regularly using AI at work. Employees are turning to AI for tasks such as creating content, automating admin, generating content, analysing data, and personalising their own learning. Over a half (60%) of regular users in Ireland believe AI will significantly change or even completely transform their job within the next three years. Despite growing AI adoption among employees, concerns about job security remain significant, with 35% worried that AI could make a large part of their role redundant.

 

It’s not all plain sailing. While AI investment increases, uncertainty remains high among Irish HR professionals. Although 54% of employers expect AI to rapidly transform the workplace, 63% are unclear about its concrete impact on HR tasks and operating models. Notably, 43% of employers believe AI will eventually make some roles redundant. Many respondents worry about losing the human touch in HR, admitting to lacking the necessary expertise, and express ongoing concerns about data privacy and security. The specific changes AI will bring to HR are still far from clear for many Irish organisations. 

 “Irish businesses have a real opportunity to lead with responsible, people-focused innovation. Success will depend on how well we combine advanced technologies with a culture of lifelong learning, empowering teams to adapt, upskill, and thrive in an evolving world of work. Identifying concrete, practical use cases where AI can deliver real value across the HR function will unlock valuable solutions that are transparent and trusted by all.” 

— Eimear Byrne, Ireland Country Lead, SD Worx 

 

The first elements of the European AI Act have been in force since 2 February 2025. Companies are obliged to ensure that employees are sufficiently trained in the use of AI and that the systems used do not violate fundamental rights – for example, through social scoring or emotion recognition in the workplace. From August 2025, violations will be subject to fines of up to 35 million euros. Further regulations will come into force in 2026 and 2027.

 

“We recommend that employers establish a clear AI policy: who is allowed to use which tools, how can the organisation stay up to date, and how do you ensure knowledge is retained when roles or technologies change? A meaningful use of AI in HR starts with a clear objective," says Saeys. "Invest in the training of your HR team and use AI in a fair and transparent way in line with European legislation. This is the only way to create trust among employees and stakeholders." 

—  Tom Saeys, Chief Operations Officer at SD Worx 

 

SD Worx, the leading European HR services provider, supports both small and large organisations with their HR and payroll challenges. To stay in touch with employers and employees, SD Worx regularly conducts in-depth surveys. The analysis of the most recent ‘HR & Payroll Pulse’ provides organisations with valuable insights to sharpen and future-proof their HR and payroll strategies. 

The independent survey was conducted by iVox in February 2025 across 16 European countries. In Ireland specifically, 1,000 employees and 300 employers were surveyed. The results provide a representative picture of the labor market in each country.