Ireland’s workforce is adapting to AI at different speeds, and the gap is widening. PwC Ireland’s 2026 Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey, which gathered responses from 1,004 Irish workers and was published on 29 September 2026, finds that AI use has risen to 51%, up from 43% in 2025, while access to learning and development resources has fallen to 45%, down 12 percentage points in a year. The data sets a clear talent management challenge at the centre of the HR agenda.

The findings present a defining opportunity. Irish workers are not waiting: 73% feel ready to adapt to new ways of working, and 68% understand the skills they will need. The obstacle is not willingness but capacity. Three priorities emerge: closing the L&D access gap, investing in the employee experience of AI adoption, and ensuring capability building reaches every level of the organisation.

The case for structured AI investment is compelling. Among Irish workers who already use AI, 62% report improved quality of work, while the technology makes them feel over four times more energised than tired or powerless. Laoise Mullane, Director, Workforce Consulting and AI adoption Lead at PwC Ireland, put it directly: build on that momentum without creating a divide between those forging ahead and those being left behind.

The pressure on workers demands a workplace culture response. Some 66% say cost-of-living pressures have impacted their work in terms of motivation, relationships, and physical ability, with just 26% reporting money left over at month end, down 13 percentage points year on year. Some 29% say burnout limits productivity and over a fifth are likely to change employer in the next year. These are retention and wellbeing signals in equal measure.

The employee wellbeing dimension reinforces the case. Fifty-five per cent of Irish workers report more change than in previous years, and rising AI expectations, falling L&D access, and financial stress create compounding pressure. Rebecca McCann, Senior Manager, Workforce Consulting at PwC Ireland, was clear: the challenge is turning readiness into action by giving people the time, support, and opportunities to participate.

Three actions will allow HR leaders to convert these findings into competitive advantage. First, audit L&D provision, treating the 12-point decline as an early warning rather than a background trend. Second, create protected time for AI learning within working hours, making skills development a structural feature of work. Third, redesign manager training to equip people leaders to support employees through change and address burnout proactively.

PwC Ireland’s 2026 Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey gives Irish HR leaders an exceptional evidence base. Organisations that match workers’ readiness with investment in capability, access, and support will build the people foundations that turn AI adoption into lasting competitive advantage.