Workplace AI Adoption in Germany Grows Slowly and Unequally, Study Finds

Only 38% of employees in Germany use AI at work, according to the third wave of the Konstanz AI study—an increase of just 3 percentage points from 35% the year before. The survey, conducted in May 2026 among 1,105 employees, suggests that public discussion of generative AI has moved much faster than adoption on the ground. The study also finds AI use is often self-driven: 55% of AI users say their most frequently used tool was introduced officially by their employer. That leaves nearly half relying on informal experimentation, raising questions about governance, secure infrastructure, and training.