Irish tech leaders see stronger returns & AI focus

Irish organisations are reporting stronger returns from technology spending than global peers, alongside a sharper focus on cyber risk and governance as AI deployment expands, according to KPMG's Global Tech Report.

The research found that 89% of tech leaders in Ireland said technology is improving the value generated from investment, compared with 79% globally. Most Irish respondents also reported strong recent momentum: 94% said their organisations delivered revenue growth over the past five years, versus a global average of 88%.

The survey also pointed to concern about how quickly strategies can lose relevance. Two-thirds of Irish leaders (66%) said technology plans quickly become outdated due to rapid advances, increasing pressure on executive teams and boards to regularly revisit priorities and funding.

"Irish technology organisations are confident, but they are not complacent," said Liam Cotter, Technology Practise Lead, KPMG in Ireland. "We're seeing a strong focus on value, resilience and security, alongside a clear understanding that technology strategies must constantly evolve."

AI investment

AI and automation remain near the top of spending plans. Some 70% of Irish organisations said they plan to invest in AI over the next 12 months, compared with 76% globally.

Despite slightly lower near-term investment intentions, Irish respondents reported more strategic clarity. A total of 86% said they have a clearly defined, organisation-wide AI strategy, versus 76% globally. The survey described this as evidence of more structured planning for AI adoption and governance.

Respondents also highlighted a gap between activity and proof of impact. Some 67% said they struggle to demonstrate and communicate the value of AI to stakeholders, compared with 55% globally. The responses suggest that reporting metrics, governance and assurance are becoming as important as decisions about model development and deployment.

Rory Timlin, Data and AI Practise Lead at KPMG in Ireland, described the issue as an execution challenge rather than a strategy gap.

"Organisations are clear on the strategic importance of AI and are putting enterprise‐wide frameworks in place, but the next challenge is execution-embedding strong governance while clearly demonstrating business value. Turning responsible AI adoption into measurable outcomes will be critical for maintaining momentum and securing long‐term stakeholder confidence," Timlin said.

Security focus

Cybersecurity emerged as a key differentiator between Irish and global responses, particularly around AI-related risk. Irish leaders ranked cyberattacks as the top AI-related risk today: 44% cited it as the leading concern, compared with 37% globally. KPMG expects this risk to increase over the next two years, rising to 47% in Ireland.

Irish respondents also flagged risks linked to AI errors and data reliability, including concern about deepfakes and synthetic content. These sit alongside more established issues such as third-party exposure, identity risks, and the security of training data and outputs.

Reported operational practices pointed to closer coordination between technology and risk functions. Almost all Irish organisations surveyed (97%) said their IT, security and risk teams collaborate closely on secure AI deployment and continuous monitoring, compared with 89% globally.

The report also pointed to a more cautious approach to the supply chain and partner ecosystem. More Irish organisations said they plan to increase scrutiny of the geographic location of cybersecurity partners in response to geopolitical risk. While the research did not quantify the shift, it indicates that procurement and risk teams are factoring location into decisions on security services and monitoring arrangements.

Measured adoption

Beyond AI and cyber priorities, the survey described a pragmatic approach to innovation. Six in ten Irish respondents said they prefer to adopt new technologies once they have been tested by early adopters, compared with 52% globally. This suggests Irish leaders place greater weight on controls, governance and expected return on investment than on speed of adoption.

Responses also linked technology priorities to resilience and decision-making under uncertainty. More organisations in Ireland said they plan to improve data flows and infrastructure, which the survey associated with better analytics and faster scenario planning in a volatile macroeconomic environment.

The report is based on a survey of 2,500 executives across 27 countries and territories, including 70 respondents from Ireland. Participants came from eight industries, including financial services, government, healthcare and life sciences, industrial manufacturing, and technology and telecommunications.