Anxiety among Irish workers about artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential to displace jobs has grown significantly over the past year, but only a small fraction of companies here have used the technology to replace a role, a new study has indicated.
Based on a survey of just under 4,000 employees and businesses, FRS Recruitment’s annual employment insights report reveals that just under half of Irish workers believe AI will replace or negatively impact their current role.
The figure is up 19 percentage points from 2025, the recruitment firm said.
Yet, only 3.6 per cent of companies surveyed said they had used AI to fully replace a job or role within their organisation, suggesting that “large-scale workforce replacement” remains a distant prospect, FRS said.
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However, the use of AI in Irish workplaces has accelerated, becoming a mainstream tool over the past year or so.
“Perhaps the most significant emerging trend identified in this year’s report is the growing adoption of AI technology in Irish workplaces,” said Colin Donnery, group chief executive of FRS Co-Op.
“While concerns about the long-term impact of AI on employment are increasing among both employers and employees, the evidence suggests that its influence is currently being felt primarily through the automation of tasks rather than the replacement of entire roles.”
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Overall, the survey results suggest that hiring has increased this year compared to 2025, when there was a significant slowdown in activity.
Almost two-thirds of companies that responded to FRS’s survey said they had started recruitment processes for 2026, up 11 percentage points on the same period last year.
The recruitment firm said employee retention was one of the biggest standout trends from the data, with 68 per cent of respondents indicating that it would be their number one talent priority this year.
This has shifted notably from 2023, when employers were mostly focused on hiring new staff, said FRS.
“Interestingly, employers’ attitudes have shifted substantially in recent years,” said Lynne McCormack, general manager at FRS recruitment, comparing the last five years of survey results.
“In 2026, focus has been on staff retention, artificial intelligence, upskilling workers, salary reviews, wellbeing, and pay transparency. The majority of these topics were barely discussed five years ago. This showcases that Irish employers are becoming much more strategic about workforce management.”
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The survey results also indicate that young Irish workers are less enthusiastic about moving abroad to find work than they were last year.
Just 8 per cent of people said they would consider moving abroad for work, down from 12 per cent last year, against the backdrop of the Israel-Iran war and wider conflict in the Gulf region.
Almost half of the survey respondents said that the war had made it less likely that they would move to previously popular locations like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
