Almost two-thirds (62%) of employees use AI daily at work and a further 15% use it weekly according to this years Morgan McKinley Global AI Report.
The report, based on a survey of 1,962 employees and 144 employers, found that chatbots are the most widely used applications, cited by 74%, followed by tools for meetings, transcription, and scheduling (42%) and for documents and presentations (41%). Some 22% used AI for coding or data analysis.
AI is also changing how employees spend their time, with 27% reporting more time on strategic planning and decision-making and 24% more time reviewing and validating AI generated output. Among employers, 55% reported improvements in operational performance, with efficiency and faster workflows their leading reason for adopting AI.
AI governance has emerged as a clear pressure point. Nearly half of employees (48%) used personal AI accounts for work at least occasionally. While 48% of employers said their organisation had a formal AI policy, only 40% of employees said they were aware of one.
Data privacy, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance were the most commonly cited barriers to wider AI implementation, identified by 25% of employers.
Despite the use of AI becoming a workplace norm, investment in employees’ skills has yet to catch up. Only 25% said their employer was investing adequately in their AI development. Another 28% described the training available as inadequate, while 30% said there had been no employer investment and they intended to upskill in their own time.
Employers identified data literacy and analytical capabilities as their leading training priority (59%), followed by proficiency with AI tools and prompt engineering (55%). More than half (52%) expect their AI training budgets to increase.
Concern about job replacement remains high, despite limited changes to headcount so far. Some 46% of employees worry that AI could replace their role. Among employers surveyed, 64% said AI had had no effect on headcount, 7% reported reductions and 13% said it had slowed planned expansion.
In recruitment, candidates are using AI extensively but are more cautious about being evaluated by it. Globally, 78% use generative AI during their job search, including 59% who use it to write or improve CVs and cover letters and 43% who use it to prepare for interviews. Yet only 5% would trust AI to make a hiring decision independently, compared with 44% who would trust it alongside human decision making.
Employers reported mixed effects from candidates’ AI use. While 38% said it had made no measurable difference to their hiring process, 29% said it had become harder to verify applicants’ skills and backgrounds. A further 9% said increased application volumes were slowing recruitment.
Caution about employer use of AI is particularly pronounced in Ireland. More than a third of Irish candidates (35%) said AI evaluation would make them significantly less likely to apply for a role, compared with 23% globally.
Almost one in three Irish respondents (32%) said they did not trust AI in recruitment decisions. Among Irish employers surveyed, 47% said they do not currently use AI in recruitment, with 16% not sure, leaving 37% who do use it somewhere in their hiring funnel.
Trayc Keevans, global director, head of research & foreign direct investment at Morgan McKinley (pictured), said: “The global talent landscape is changing quickly, and AI is the biggest catalyst we are seeing. It has moved beyond the experimental phase into daily working life, while workforce strategy has not advanced at the same pace.
“Employees are developing AI skills on their own time and using personal accounts for work, even as employers report operational benefits. The next phase of adoption will depend on whether organisations can turn that individual initiative into workforce capability, supported by meaningful training and governance that employees understand and can apply.
“Recruitment faces its own challenge as AI becomes established in the application process. Employers will need more robust ways to verify candidates’ skills, while the Irish findings show caution about being evaluated by AI. Transparency about its role and human oversight of hiring decisions need to be built into the process from the outset. Otherwise, employers risk undermining candidates’ confidence at the very point when they are trying to assess their capability.”
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