The Growing Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in German Companies and the Associated Concerns

Larger companies in particular are already using artificial intelligence in their operations. 13 percent assume that they will therefore have to hire fewer staff.

Almost every fifth German company already relies on artificial intelligence (AI). As “Welt am Sonntag” reported, citing a study by the personnel service provider Randstad and the Munich Ifo Institute, 18 percent of employers use AI in at least one company area, and another 35 percent are planning to use it. To this end, 606 human resources managers were surveyed in July and August.

As the survey also shows, the use of AI increases with the size of the company. More than half of companies with at least 500 employees plan to use such programs. For small companies with fewer than 50 employees it is only twelve percent. 13 percent of companies also assume that they will hire fewer staff because of the use of AI.

There are clear differences between the sectors. While 40 percent of industrial companies plan to use AI in the future, only 18 percent of service providers and 14 percent of retailers plan to use AI.

On the other hand, according to “Welt am Sonntag”, the survey also shows that reservations about AI are still great. 86 percent of participants expressed concerns about the use of new applications. A lack of knowledge (62 percent), legal aspects (48 percent) and a lack of trust in the programs (34 percent) are the most frequently cited reasons for skepticism. However, 22 percent of those surveyed do not see any added value from AI in their everyday work.