Many feel they are AI-literate
59.4 per cent of employees in Germany who use AI in their work rate their skills in the use of AI tools (such as ChatGPT or Copilot) as fairly high or very high. Managers surveyed say this more often than respondents in non-managerial positions. This is shown by the IU study on AI in the workplace.
Question: How would you rate your own skills in using AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Copilot, DALL·E) in your work?
Only respondents who use AI tools in their work
Many employees already feel confident about using AI. This is a good basis for the further uptake of this technology. At the same time, AI has one distinctive feature: it almost always provides a plausible and satisfactory answer – regardless of whether it is correct. This can be dangerous, particularly in critical professions where decisions may have far-reaching consequences. Therefore, AI literacy means more than just knowing how to use a tool; it also involves being able to recognise whether an answer is plausible. This makes the ability to think critically THE key skill for the future.”
Prof. Dr Anne Gfrerer
Professor of Business Informatics at the IU International University of Applied Sciences, entrepreneur and supervisory board member
Which AI skills will be important in the future?
Opinions on this question are divided among employees: 41.3 per cent assume that AI skills such as prompting or evaluating AI results will become more important. In contrast, 27.6 per cent and 27.5 per cent respectively do not see any increase in significance. Just under a quarter of respondents in each group are unable to assess whether, and if so how, the importance of these future skills is evolving.
The results show: managers surveyed are more likely to assume that these two AI skills will become increasingly more important than respondents in non-managerial positions.
Prompting (e.g. asking AI targeted questions)
Question: In your opinion, how is the importance of the following AI skills for your work changing? – Prompting (e.g. asking AI targeted questions)
Evaluation of AI results (e.g. identifying errors, checking quality)
Question: In your opinion, how is the importance of the following AI skills for your work changing? – Evaluating AI results (e.g. identifying errors, checking quality)
The debate on AI still revolves too often around technology. However, the results show that the real question is a different one: what skills do people need to work with AI in a responsible and thoughtful way? In particular, the ability to critically question and interpret AI results will be more important in the future than knowing how to use individual tools. The fact that many employees are not yet able to fully assess the importance of these skills shows that companies need to communicate more clearly the skills and working methods that will be in demand in the future. This is the only way employees can prepare specifically for change.”
Prof. Dr Philipp Diebold
Professor of Business Informatics at the IU International University of Applied Sciences and managing director of a consultancy firm
Focus
Entering a career in the age of AI
Does artificial intelligence make it easier to enter a career? Or will AI replace career entrants by taking over their tasks? Just under half of the managers surveyed see the potential for AI to enable career entrants to take on more challenging tasks more quickly. However, just as many also believe that AI is increasingly taking over their tasks.
Many people believe that for career entrants, AI skills are becoming a basic requirement in many professional fields. Almost two-thirds of the managers surveyed agree with this.
A quicker start thanks to AI? Managers tend to agree
Question: To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “AI gives career entrants the opportunity to take on more challenging tasks more quickly.”
Excerpt from the statements surveyed
AI is increasingly taking over tasks previously carried out by career entrants
Question: To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “AI is increasingly taking over tasks that were previously typically carried out by career entrants.”
Excerpt from the statements surveyed
AI skills are becoming a basic requirement
Question: To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “For career entrants, AI skills are becoming a basic requirement in many professional fields.”
Excerpt from the statements surveyed
It’s a paradox. AI can both speed up and hinder career entry. On the one hand, it helps young employees to take on more challenging tasks more quickly. On the other hand, AI is eliminating precisely those routine tasks through which many people gained their initial professional experience, such as research or presentations forming part of consultancy assignments. This makes it all the more important not to overlook career entrants. They need the opportunity to gain practical experience while also developing their AI skills. This is also an investment in the next generation of skilled workers.”
Prof. Dr Anne Gfrerer
Professor of Business Informatics at IU International University of Applied Sciences, entrepreneur and supervisory board member
Skills for the future: what do companies foster?
According to our experts, the ability to use AI tools in conjunction with critical thinking are the most important skills for the future in the world of work. However, from the employees’ perspective it is precisely these skills that are rarely encouraged.
According to employees, companies most frequently support specialist upskilling. Regarding soft skills, the main focus is on communication skills – for example, communication within the team.
Question: To what extent does your company actively promote upskilling on the following topics?
Hardly any time for AI upskilling
43.9 per cent of employees in Germany have not spent any of their working time on AI upskilling at all in the last 12 months. This applies to almost half of the respondents in non-management positions. 14.3 per cent of all respondents say: AI upskilling does not apply to me.
Question: How much time have you spent in total on AI upskilling during working hours over the last 12 months?
The reasons: AI upskilling is not necessary or not wanted
Almost half of the respondents who have not spent any time at all on AI upskilling in the last 12 months cite the following reasons: AI upskilling is not necessary. Just under a quarter of those surveyed state that the company does not want this. A fifth of those surveyed also cite lack of time as the reason.
Question: For what reason(s) have you not taken / not been able to take any time for AI upskilling as part of your everyday work in the last 12 months?
Only respondents who have not spent any time at all on AI upskilling in the last 12 months
Excerpts from the statements surveyed; only the answers “completely agree” and “tend to agree” on a scale of 1 to 4
The current aim in companies is to use AI in a way that adds value. However, the results reveal a contradiction: many employees do not have the time to explore it, while at the same time AI is often not yet regarded as relevant or necessary. Yet AI is actually supposed to lighten the workload, boost efficiency and save time. Instead, it initially ties up resources – particularly when it is simply added on top, instead of existing working methods being adapted to it. This raises the question of whether the current approach is the right one, or whether a targeted change in working methods is needed to create the basis for truly productive use of AI.”
Prof. Dr Philipp Diebold
Professor of Business Informatics at the IU International University of Applied Sciences and managing director of a consultancy firm