A new nationwide survey conducted by Amárach for the Small Firms Association (SFA) has revealed that 9 out of 10 small firms in Ireland are now using artificial intelligence (AI) for one or more business processes.
The most common applications reported were automation of simple tasks (66% of respondents) and data analytics and reporting (44%).
While enthusiasm for AI is high, barriers remain. The survey identified a lack of technical expertise as the leading obstacle to deeper AI adoption, followed by time pressures and the absence of a clear business strategy.
Despite these challenges, sentiment towards AI is broadly positive, particularly in the financial and professional services sectors, with over two-thirds of businesses describing themselves as enthusiastic or curious about AI tools.
The research also found that three quarters of small businesses have either started or plan to investigate business use cases for AI. However, the retail sector recorded the highest proportion of respondents who have not started and have no plans to use AI.
The SFA is calling on the Government to work closely with businesses to address the skills and resource gaps that currently hinder AI adoption, saying that targeted supports will be key to helping small firms identify and pursue new opportunities in the AI space.
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