Majority of German Companies Use AI but Employee Training Lags Behind

A substantial majority of German companies—56%—have integrated generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Copilot into their daily business operations, according to a recent survey by market research institute Forsa for the TÜV Association. Despite this widespread adoption, only 27% of employees have received relevant AI training, exposing a significant skills gap crucial for maximizing AI's potential and ensuring safe use.

While 50% of businesses recognize a high or very high need for further AI education, 45% still see no urgency in training staff. Joachim Bühler, Managing Director of the TÜV Association, highlighted that although AI use is rapidly increasing in companies, the pace of competency development is lagging, underlining the critical need for targeted employee training investments.

Company size substantially influences AI use and training: 68% of large firms (over 250 employees) employ generative AI compared to 60% of medium-sized and 53% of small enterprises. Training participation also varies markedly—49% of large companies have provided employee education, but this drops to 32% among medium-sized and just 21% in small companies. Furthermore, although 87% of companies consider employee training important and 75% offer training opportunities to all staff, only 29% maintain a formal, written training strategy.

Financial commitment to training is modest, with 29% of firms spending under 500 euros per employee annually and most others investing between 500 and 1,000 euros. Bühler warned that economic pressures often cause companies to deprioritize such training, which could hamper their future competitiveness in AI and digital transformation.

Overall, the findings reveal an urgent need for German companies to close the training gap to fully leverage AI technologies and maintain competitiveness in an evolving digital landscape.