Both the German population and the economy have a clear opinion on the importance of artificial intelligence (AI). Almost three quarters (73%) of companies consider AI to be the most important technology of the future. In contrast, 26% believe that AI is overrated. Among the population, 32% agree, with around two thirds (63%) seeing AI as the most important technology of the future. These are the results of two representative surveys commissioned by the digital association Bitkom. A total of 602 companies and 1,007 people aged 16 and over in Germany were surveyed.
“Germany can become an AI country. We have the innovative strength to develop AI systems and we need the technological openness to use them extensively,” said Bitkom President Dr. Ralf Wintergerst at the opening of today's AI & Data Summit in Berlin. “We must now turn this realization into action. Companies must approach AI both strategically and operationally. And politicians must give companies the necessary freedom in the upcoming implementation of the AI Act.”
“Complicated rules threaten to stifle innovation”
On the occasion of the AI & Data Summit last week, Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Economics Dr. Robert Habeck highlighted the opportunities of AI for the economy and society in Germany: “Internationally, there is fierce competition in AI, which we are taking up. We are committed to ensuring that Europe becomes one of the leading AI locations in the world - with new business models and AI applications across the board in order to exploit productivity potential for our economy. In doing so, we are focusing on an innovation-friendly implementation of the AI Regulation. We are currently working intensively on this together with industry and stakeholders.”
Federal Digital Minister Dr. Volker Wissing called for a rethink in European digital policy: “In Europe, we must once again rely more on the innovative power of the free market. This means less state intervention, no isolation and more freedom for companies. The best thing would be a moratorium on new digital regulations, as many complicated rules threaten to stifle innovation. The state should concentrate much more on its core tasks, namely creating clear and innovation-friendly framework conditions and thus promoting the use of AI in companies.”
Companies and the population see AI as the most important technology of the future
According to Bitkom, large companies in the economy are more likely to see AI as being of paramount importance. For example, 89% of companies with 500 or more employees consider AI to be the most important technology of the future. The figure is 75% for companies with 100 to 499 employees and 72% for smaller companies with 20 to 99 employees. “SMEs were and are the foundation of the German economy. That's why we need to empower small and medium-sized companies in particular to use AI and benefit from the enormous opportunities,” says Wintergerst.
Among the population, 67% of 16 to 29-year-olds consider AI to be the most important technology of the future, compared to 64% of 30 to 49-year-olds and 67% of 50 to 64-year-olds. Older people aged 65 and over are the most skeptical, but even among them more than half (55%) see AI as the most important technology of the future, with only 40% seeing it as temporary hype.
Further information is available at www.bitkom.org.
