Survey: Artificial Intelligence Use On The Rise In German Businesses

BERLIN, Oct 16 (Bernama-dpa) -- German companies are increasingly focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), according to a survey by the digital association Bitkom, as reported by the German news agency.

A representative survey of 602 companies with 20 or more employees, shows that 57 per cent are now engaged with AI, a rise from 43 per cent last year, according to Bitkom, a trade association for Germany's IT sector.

Currently, 20 per cent of companies are already implementing AI technologies, up from 15 per cent last year and just 9 per cent in 2022. 

Around 78 per cent of companies see opportunities in AI applications, a 10 percentage-point increase from 68 per cent in the previous year.

AI sceptics are now a minority, with only 12 per cent viewing AI as primarily a risk and 8 per cent expecting no impact on their businesses.

Investment in AI is also on the rise, with 37 per cent of companies investing in AI this year and 74 per cent planning to do so in the near future.

This positive outlook extends beyond businesses. A parallel survey of 1,007 people aged 16 and up found that 74 per cent of the German population sees AI as an opportunity, while just 24 per cent consider it a risk. 

The findings were shared ahead of the German government's two-day digital summit, which starts on Monday.

-- BERNAMA-dpa