Irish sales teams are deploying artificial intelligence agents at accelerating rates as administrative pressures mount and revenue targets intensify, according to research conducted by Salesforce and reported by Think Business.

The survey of more than 4,000 sales professionals, including 100 in Ireland, shows 87% now use AI for prospecting, forecasting, lead scoring or communications drafting. Among users, 89% report improved customer understanding and 79% cite reduced daily stress.

Almost half of Irish sellers currently use AI agents, with over 51% planning adoption by 2027. Respondents expect the tools to reduce prospect research and email drafting time by more than one-third once fully deployed.

Adam Alfano, Executive Vice President of Sales at Salesforce, said: "We want to kill the busywork so our teams can focus on what actually moves deals forward. AI agents make that possible."

Prospecting remains particularly challenging, with 39% of Irish representatives identifying cold calling as the toughest job aspect. Despite spending nearly a full day weekly on prospecting, 41% report insufficient capacity for adequate outreach.

High-performing sellers show stronger adoption rates. Globally, those reporting year-over-year revenue growth are 1.7 times more likely to use prospecting agents than those with flat or declining revenue.

Junior sellers face disproportionate administrative friction. Gen Z representatives spend only 35% of time in customer-facing activity compared to a 40% average, with gaps stemming from manual data entry. Almost half report rarely receiving feedback on sales conversations.

Despite cost pressures, 60% of CEOs plan to maintain or increase hiring in 2026, particularly for AI, data and technology integration roles.

Read the full analysis of AI adoption trends and workforce implications in the original article.