Almost eight in ten adults in Ireland (79%) now use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot in their work or daily life. However, there is no clear agreement on who should teach children to use the technology responsibly, and the answer depends largely on how much people use AI themselves.
According to research commissioned by STEM South West (See Appendix), the industry-led initiative which brings together Ireland’s leading tech, pharma, science and engineering organisations, and conducted by iReach among 1,000 adults nationwide, teachers are the most trusted group to lead this charge, but even at that, they are chosen by just over a quarter of people (27%).
Tech companies working with schools come second (21%), ahead of government or education authorities (16%) and parents (12%). Just 3% would trust online platforms or content creators most, while more than one in five (22%) said they do not trust any of these groups.
The STEM South West findings show that the frequency of people’s own use of AI, and people’s age and gender all have a bearing on who they trust most with the task of teaching the children of Ireland how to use AI (See Table 1 below):
- Among frequent or daily AI users, tech companies working with schools are the top choice (27%), ahead of teachers (20%).
- Among people who never use AI, teachers are the top choice (34%), but three in ten (30%) trust none of the groups, compared with 17% of frequent or daily users.
- 25 to 34 year olds are the most likely age group to choose tech companies working with schools (34%) and the least likely to choose teachers (16%). By contrast, over-55s are the most likely to choose teachers (37%).
- 35 to 44 year olds are the most likely to say parents (20%) and the least likely to choose government or education authorities (9%).
- Men are more likely than women to choose teachers (32% compared with 22%), while women are more likely to choose tech companies working with schools (25% compared with 17%).
Commenting on the research, Aine McCarthy, Chair of STEM South West,
“AI is now part of everyday life for most people in Ireland, but this research shows there is no single answer when it comes to who should teach children to use it responsibly. Teachers emerge as the most trusted group, but the fact that only over a quarter of people chose them, and more than one in five trust no one at all, tells us that people are still looking for leadership on this.
People’s own experience with AI appears to really shape their view. Those who use AI regularly are more open to tech companies working alongside schools, while those who don’t use it are more cautious about everyone.
Teaching children to use AI well, and to use it responsibly ultimately needs all of us working together. Teachers are central to that, and they need to be supported with training and resources. Industry has a real role to play too, by working with schools to bring practical, real-world experience into the classroom.“
Who is using AI?
Two in five (40%) adults in Ireland use AI daily or frequently. A further 38% use it just sometimes or very infrequently, while one in five (21%) never use it. (See Table 2 below)
Age is the biggest divide when it comes to use. More than half of 25 to 34 year olds (58%) and 18 to 24 year olds (53%) use AI daily or frequently, compared with just one in five over-55s (20%). A third of over-55s (34%) never use AI at all.
The survey also revealed a sociological-economic gap. Almost half of people in the higher sociological-economic group (49%) use AI daily or frequently, compared with 30% in the lower sociological-economic group. People in the lower sociological-economic group are almost three times as likely to say they never use AI (33% compared with 12%).
Men are slightly more likely than women to use AI daily or frequently (43% compared with 38%).
Ms. McCarthy went on to say,
“We also need to be mindful of who is being left behind. Older people and those from lower sociological-economic backgrounds are much less likely to use AI. If we want AI to close gaps rather than widen them, the support has to reach every family.
STEM South West says the findings come as schools continue to work through how AI should be used in teaching and learning. The Department of Education and Youth published its first Guidance on Artificial Intelligence in Schools in October 2025, to support teachers and school leaders in planning for safe, ethical and appropriate use of AI. However, research published by Microsoft Ireland in November 2025 found that more than eight in ten teachers said they lacked formal training in AI.
Ms. McCarthy concluded,
“We are all on this learning journey together which is exactly why events like the STEM South West Careers and Pathways Expo matter. It gives young people, and the adults who support them, the chance to meet the people working with these technologies every day and see where they could lead.“
STEM South West is inviting all those interested in a career in STEM to attend the public sessions of the annual STEM South West Careers and Pathways Expo, from 3pm – 7.30pm at Cork City Hall on November 18th.
Free tickets can be booked here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/stem-south-west-careers-and-pathways-expo-2026-tickets-1992751453240