[UK and Ireland] Majority of payroll specialists now using AI

New research has revealed that a majority of payroll specialists across the UK and Ireland have incorporated AI into their regular routines, and there is significant interest in further adoption, Yahoo reports.

The Payroll Professionals Survey 2026 by BrightPay - a unit of accounting, payroll and HR solutions provider Bright - is based on data collected from 296 industry practitioners in the UK and Ireland.

It reportedly found that 56 per cent of respondents use AI solutions at least occasionally, while a further 24 per cent expressed a desire to begin adopting the technology.

By contrast, 18 per cent of participants stated that they had no intention of adopting AI and expressed scepticism about current platforms.

For current users, the primary applications of AI include drafting emails and communications (66 per cent) and examining statutory rules or revenue guidelines (59 per cent), something respondents noted freed time from routine administration for higher-priority tasks.

Demand for skill development reportedly remained high, with 70 per cent of payroll specialists saying they would welcome additional training on integrating AI into their positions.

Forty-four per cent of those surveyed consider AI a benefit to their routine responsibilities.

When thinking about implementation, respondents directly linked their willingness to deploy AI for critical functions to guarantees concerning precision as well as transparency regarding data protection and General Data Protection Regulation compliance.

Forty-four per cent anticipate that AI will enhance professional effectiveness rather than displace skilled personnel.

Regulatory updates and processing timelines reportedly represent the most significant operational hurdles for the sector; these were cited by 63 per cent and 62 per cent of participants, respectively.

Conversely, 28 per cent identified personnel shortages as their biggest hurdle and insufficient technology was cited by 17 per cent.

Ben Bishop - Bright CEO - said, "These findings echo exactly what we hear from our own customers.

"Payroll professionals don't want a chatbot that can draft an email, they want tools built for the specific, high-stakes work they actually do every day.

"That is why we have focused our AI development on the jobs that sit around compliance and accuracy, rather than adding a general assistant on top.

"The fact that seven in ten want more training tells us the appetite is there and it is on us as a sector to meet it, with tools that are transparent about how they work and where their limits are, so professionals can build trust in them at their own pace."

Source: Yahoo

(Quotes via original reporting)

New research has revealed that a majority of payroll specialists across the UK and Ireland have incorporated AI into their regular routines, and there is significant interest in further adoption, Yahoo reports.

The Payroll Professionals Survey 2026 by BrightPay - a unit of accounting, payroll and HR solutions provider Bright - is based on data collected from 296 industry practitioners in the UK and Ireland.

It reportedly found that 56 per cent of respondents use AI solutions at least occasionally, while a further 24 per cent expressed a desire to begin adopting the technology.

By contrast, 18 per cent of participants stated that they had no intention of adopting AI and expressed scepticism about current platforms.

For current users, the primary applications of AI include drafting emails and communications (66 per cent) and examining statutory rules or revenue guidelines (59 per cent), something respondents noted freed time from routine administration for higher-priority tasks.

Demand for skill development reportedly remained high, with 70 per cent of payroll specialists saying they would welcome additional training on integrating AI into their positions.

Forty-four per cent of those surveyed consider AI a benefit to their routine responsibilities.

When thinking about implementation, respondents directly linked their willingness to deploy AI for critical functions to guarantees concerning precision as well as transparency regarding data protection and General Data Protection Regulation compliance.

Forty-four per cent anticipate that AI will enhance professional effectiveness rather than displace skilled personnel.

Regulatory updates and processing timelines reportedly represent the most significant operational hurdles for the sector; these were cited by 63 per cent and 62 per cent of participants, respectively.

Conversely, 28 per cent identified personnel shortages as their biggest hurdle and insufficient technology was cited by 17 per cent.

Ben Bishop - Bright CEO - said, "These findings echo exactly what we hear from our own customers.

"Payroll professionals don't want a chatbot that can draft an email, they want tools built for the specific, high-stakes work they actually do every day.

"That is why we have focused our AI development on the jobs that sit around compliance and accuracy, rather than adding a general assistant on top.

"The fact that seven in ten want more training tells us the appetite is there and it is on us as a sector to meet it, with tools that are transparent about how they work and where their limits are, so professionals can build trust in them at their own pace."

Source: Yahoo

(Quotes via original reporting)