New research from PwC shows that artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the skills employers value most, increasing demand for distinctly human capabilities such as judgement, creativity, and leadership.
According to PwC’s 2026 AI Jobs Barometer, organisations that are most effective at adopting AI continue to expand their workforce more quickly than their peers.
The report analysed more than one billion job advertisements across six continents, including Ireland, and found that AI is creating a "two-track" global labour market. Roles that are becoming increasingly "professionalised"—where AI automates routine tasks and elevates the importance of human expertise and decision-making—are growing faster than roles being "democratised" by AI, where technology makes tasks easier for non-specialists to perform.
In Ireland, AI-related hiring nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025, reflecting the growing adoption of AI across the workforce. As a result, the proportion of job postings requiring AI skills rose to 3.7% in 2025, up from approximately 2.3% in 2024.
PwC found that jobs requiring AI expertise have grown more than five times faster since 2019 than the overall Irish jobs market, increasing by 83% compared with 16% across all roles.
The research also highlights a salary premium for AI-skilled roles in Ireland, particularly in industries with higher levels of AI adoption, such as technology and financial services. These positions typically combine AI capabilities with other highly valued skills, with AI serving as a productivity-enhancing tool that complements broader expertise.
At the same time, jobs with greater exposure to AI are experiencing more rapid changes in skill requirements, with the most AI-exposed occupations showing the largest shifts.
While AI user roles account for most AI-related positions, growth has been strong across both user and developer categories. Between 2024 and 2025, AI user roles increased by 84%, while AI developer roles grew by 73%.
The stronger growth in AI user roles suggests that AI adoption is becoming increasingly widespread, extending beyond specialist technical positions and into the everyday work of a broad range of occupations.