Fewer than half of the employees use AI
Everybody is talking about AI, but it has not yet found its way into every company: 45.5 per cent of employees in Germany use AI tools such as ChatGPT or Copilot in their work.
The IU study on the use of AI in companies also shows that: 61.6 per cent of the managers surveyed use AI tools. Among respondents in non-management positions, the figure is significantly lower at 40.3 per cent.
Question: Do you use AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Copilot, DALL·E) in your work at your company?
72.4%
All respondents
“AI tools enhance my own abilities.”
Question: To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “AI tools enhance my own abilities.”
Excerpt from the statements surveyed; only respondents who use AI tools in their work; only the answers “Completely agree” and “Tend to agree” on a scale of 1 to 4
81.5%
Respondents
in management positions
68.0%
Respondents
in non-management positions
From unsuitable to unauthorised: why AI is not yet being used
Half of the employees who do not use AI in their work say this is because artificial intelligence is not suitable for their tasks. Furthermore, nearly one in five respondents cites data protection or legal requirements as a reason for not using it.
10.6 per cent of respondents also state that AI is not permitted in their company.
Question: What are the reasons why you do not use AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Copilot, DALL·E) in your work at your company?
Top 10 answers; only respondents who do not use AI tools in their work
The focus of the AI transformation should not be on the question of whether AI replaces people, but on how AI makes people better. AI delivers its greatest added value when it enhances human capabilities by processing information, taking over routine tasks and thereby enabling better decisions. This is also shown by the results of our study. Clear guidelines, training and, above all, role models in the leadership team are needed to empower employees, thereby enabling them to make the most of the AI transformation to boost their organisation’s innovative strength and competitiveness.”
Prof. Dr Anne Gfrerer
Professor of Business Informatics at the IU International University of Applied Sciences, entrepreneur and supervisory board member
Focus
Between opportunities and burden: change through AI
According to the employees, the use of AI in companies is on the rise – though not to an equal extent everywhere. Experiences with this also vary: many see the use of AI as an opportunity. At the same time, some AI users report an increased workload or a drop in productivity.
This ambivalence is particularly evident among respondents with managerial responsibilities: they are more likely to view this development as an opportunity compared with those surveyed in non-management positions – and at the same time are more likely to perceive it as a burden.
The use of AI in companies is on the rise
75.2 per cent of employees in Germany have observed that the use of AI is on the rise in their company. However, only just under a third (32.8 per cent) perceive a fairly or very sharp rise.
Question: To what extent do you generally notice an increase in the use of AI in your company?
AI as an opportunity? Yes, say managers in particular
54.3 per cent of the respondents who have noticed an increase in the use of AI in their company see this as a fairly significant or very significant opportunity for their work. Among managers, the figure is two-thirds (66.5 per cent).
Question: To what extent do you see the increasing use of AI as an opportunity for your work within your company?
Only respondents who perceive an increase in the use of AI in their company
AI as a burden? Here, too, managers agree more often
By contrast, 26.2 per cent regard the increasing use of AI as a fairly significant or very significant burden. This is also mentioned more frequently by the managers surveyed (33.3 per cent) than by employees in non-managerial roles (23.6 per cent).
Question: To what extent do you perceive the increasing use of AI as a burden for your work in your company?
Only respondents who perceive an increase in the use of AI in their company
The downside of AI: a heavier workload, lower productivity?
Question: To what extent do you agree with the following statements?
Excerpt from the statements surveyed; only respondents who use AI tools in their work; only the answers “Completely agree” and “Tend to agree” on a scale of 1 to 4
Simply introducing AI does not automatically increase productivity. On the contrary: without clear processes, training and support, AI can actually increase the workload and reduce productivity in the short term. This is shown by the results of our study. Therefore, the real problem is not the technology itself, but how it is integrated into existing working methods. Thus, successful companies do not treat AI as an IT project, but as a change project that challenges existing working methods and reshapes them through genuine leadership and training.”
Prof. Dr Philipp Diebold
Professor of Business Informatics at the IU International University of Applied Sciences and managing director of a consultancy firm
Are you well prepared for the AI transformation? Many people say: No
More than half of employees in Germany feel not well prepared for the advancing development of AI. Managers say this almost as often as employees in non-managerial positions.
By contrast, around a third of the respondents feel well prepared. Clear differences become evident here: managers surveyed are more likely to feel well prepared than employees in non-managerial positions.
Question: To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “I feel well prepared for the ongoing development of AI.”
Excerpt from the statements surveyed
The study’s findings reveal a pattern typical of many technology roll-outs. Technical implementation usually takes place more quickly than the workforce can get to grips with the subject matter. This explains why more than half of those surveyed feel they are inadequately prepared for the changes brought about by AI. Familiar patterns keep recurring. Companies are investing in AI applications without giving sufficient consideration to use scenarios, governance, training and process adaptation. Yet it is precisely these factors that determine whether an available technology actually leads to a gain in productivity and increases a company’s changeability.”
Prof. Dr Anne Gfrerer
Professor of Business Informatics at the IU International University of Applied Sciences, entrepreneur and supervisory board member
