Ireland Information Technology Emerging AI Opportunities

Ireland is making significant progress on AI adoption, innovation and digital transformation. The Irish government is keen to leverage its role as a hub for the major U.S. Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines to position itself as a leader in AI to drive a transatlantic digital marketplace.

The AI Economy in Ireland Report, supported by Microsoft Ireland, published in March 2025, reveals that AI adoption in Ireland has surged to 91 percent, nearly doubling from 49% in 2024.  This significant leap sees Ireland improve its AI ranking among EU member states.  The report projects that AI adoption will add at least $250 billion to Ireland’s economy by 2035.  There is significant opportunity across business segments, especially among SMEs.  The Irish Central Statistics Office (CSO) reports that 15% of Irish enterprises use AI, with natural language generation (7.4%) being the most common application, followed by data mining (6.5%) and workflow automation/decision support (6.4%).  AI adoption is highest among large enterprises (51%), followed by medium (25%) and small businesses (12%), with workflow automation most used by larger firms and natural language AI more common in smaller enterprises.

Ireland’s National AI Strategy has been updated with a focus on advancing opportunities and addressing challenges posed by AI in Ireland.  The updated strategy introduces key initiatives to drive innovation and responsible AI adoption in Ireland, including an AI regulatory sandbox to support innovation, a safe testing environment for experimenting with AI tools, and expanded digital upskilling and reskilling programs nationwide.  The newly formed government of Ireland appointed the country’s first-ever Minister for Artificial Intelligence in January 2025 which reaffirmed the government’s commitment to AI policy and regulation.  The AI Minister has responsibility for the provision of targeted support, training and advice to Irish enterprises to drive the adoption and deployment of AI systems across all business and industry sectors.

Ireland is fully committed to complying with the EU AI Act, which takes full effect in August 2026 and with the refreshed National AI Strategy focusing on driving innovation and responsible AI adoption, strong government support and a rapidly developing AI landscape, Ireland serves as a key access point for U.S. AI firms expanding into Europe.  By leveraging Ireland’s regulatory alignment, industry partnerships, and investment in AI research, U.S. companies can enter the European market and reinforce America’s leadership in the global AI economy.

For potential support, including market analysis and U.S. Commercial Service offerings, please contact our Commercial Advisor based in Dublin, Ireland, Julianne O’Leary (Julianne.oleary@trade.gov).

Sources
Ireland’s National AI Strategy
Central Statistics Office
The AI Economy in Ireland 2025: Trends, Impact & Opportunity
Coimisiún na Meán (The Media Commission)
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment