Germans see AI as crucial for the future

• Two thirds consider artificial intelligence to be the most important technology of the future
• Only 2 percent see Germany as the global leader in AI

Berlin, 10 April 2024 - Artificial intelligence will shape the economy in the future, and most people see a need for Germany to catch up in this important area. Around two thirds (65%) of Germans consider AI to be the most important technology of the future, while only 29% consider the topic to be massively overrated and hype. Three quarters (77%) even believe that AI will be decisive in determining whether German companies are successful worldwide in the future. 56% expect AI to change the world as fundamentally as the invention of the combustion engine or electrification. At the same time, only 2 percent currently see Germany as the world's leading nation when it comes to artificial intelligence. These are the results of a survey of 1,004 people aged 16 and over commissioned by the digital association Bitkom. "We need more artificial intelligence in Germany. We need to massively expand the use of AI in companies, but also in administration, healthcare and education. And we need to provide even more support for the development of AI applications in Germany," says Bitkom President Dr. Ralf Wintergerst. "With the AI Act, the European Union has created a legal framework that must now be filled in by the member states. The German government must ensure that AI can develop optimally in Germany. A sense of proportion and a practical form of regulation are required."

Germans currently consider the USA to be the world's leading AI nation (36%), followed by China (24%). Japan (6%) is then mentioned at a considerable distance, followed by Germany (2%) and South Korea (1%). Asia in general is named by 6 percent, Europe in general by practically no one. 5 percent do not see any nation as a leader and around a fifth (22 percent) cannot or do not want to make a statement on this.