One in five office workers in Germany is already using AI, but knowledge about it is still patchy. A survey by Microsoft and Civey shows that many employees are undecided about whether AI is more of an opportunity or a risk for their jobs.
According to a survey by Microsoft and Civey, 21.5 percent of office workers in Germany already use AI tools at least once a week. Among industrial workers, the percentage is significantly lower at 12 percent. The study of 9,000 respondents provides the first overview of the spread and perception of AI in the German workplace.
It found that 28 percent of Germans believe AI can increase productivity, while one in five see benefits for time management. These effects are stronger among office workers, with 24.5% reporting better time management and 23.8% reporting higher productivity thanks to AI. In contrast, only 19% of industrial workers cite time management benefits and 15.2% cite productivity improvements from AI.
Views on whether AI provides a competitive advantage also vary by industry. About 30% in industries such as finance and IT believe it does, compared to just 19.5% in creative fields. Overall, office workers are evenly split on whether they see AI as an opportunity, a risk, or are undecided.
The low rating of AI's potential in creativity and innovation suggests that AI's capabilities in these areas may not yet be fully recognized. If generative AI is particularly good at anything, it is generating lots of ideas quickly. But it also needs excellent human input to achieve this.
This is backed up by the finding that only 23.9% of office workers and 18.5% of industrial workers feel well-informed about AI. Over half the general public (54.7%) say they have poor AI knowledge. Understanding is highest in IT, energy, large companies, and among managers.
However, interest in AI is growing, especially among 18-39 year olds. They are open to AI assistance in the workplace, in education, and in everyday life, such as managing finances or household tasks. The multi-year survey will continue to survey employees and the general public through July 2024. According to Microsoft, the results are representative given the statistical margin of error.
