Revealed: How much time Irish office workers are saving through use of AI

The nationwide survey, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Auxilion and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), polled 1,000 office workers across Ireland.

It found that employees save an average of two hours and 54 minutes per week through the use of AI tools in their daily roles.

The time saved is largely being channeled into more valuable work, with 44% of respondents using it to focus on higher priority tasks, while 42% said it helps them boost productivity.

Nearly a third (29%) are using the extra time to upskill or take part in training.

However, the findings also highlight growing tensions around the technology’s use in the workplace.

One in five workers (22%) said they would consider changing jobs if their employer banned AI tools.

Among those currently using AI, 68% said it makes their job easier, while 27% admitted they could not complete their work effectively without it.

Ethical concerns are also on the rise.

Almost a third of respondents (31%) said they had raised concerns about the ethical use of AI within their organization, while more than a quarter (27%) acknowledged that some of their own AI use could be considered unethical.

The most commonly cited questionable activities include using AI tools for work tasks without informing a manager (45%) and inputting sensitive company or customer data into AI systems (26%).

Despite these risks, 42% of office workers said they have not received any formal training or guidance on how to use AI safely or effectively.

AI anxiety also persists, with 48% of respondents worried that AI could replace some or all of their role in the future—a concern most prevalent among 18–24-year-olds (54%).

Eleanor Dempsey, Director of Strategy, Innovation and Transformation at Auxilion, commented: “There is no denying that AI tools can deliver impressive productivity gains for individuals.

“However, the reality is that for most organizations, widespread adoption of generative AI has yet to produce significant improvements in overall performance or the bottom line.

“All too often, AI is treated as a quick fix rather than woven into the operational fabric of the business.

 Eleanor Dempsey, Director of Strategy, Innovation and Transformation, Auxilion
“Without robust governance, risk management, and a clear focus on business outcomes, companies risk spending more time addressing issues in AI rather than realizing the benefits.

“As such, the real opportunity lies in building enterprise-grade solutions that are secure, compliant, and truly transformative for the organization as a whole.”

* This article was originally published on BusinessPlus.ie.