• By contrast, only just under one in four workers considers themselves replaceable
• One in five believes that jobs in their own company have been displaced by AI

What the boss can do, AI has long been able to do. Three in ten employees in Germany are convinced of this. 29 per cent believe their superiors could be replaced by AI. At the same time, almost a quarter (23 per cent) also say that their own job is largely replaceable by AI. And 22 per cent believe that in their company, positions are already not being refilled or are even being cut because AI is taking over the relevant tasks. These are the findings of a representative survey of 1,003 people aged 16 and over in Germany, commissioned by the digital association Bitkom, including 550 employees. “Due to demographic trends, there will be more work than workers in Germany in the coming years. AI will be one answer to the looming labour shortage,” says Susanne Dehmel, a member of Bitkom’s Executive Board. “Businesses and policymakers must prepare society for the new AI-supported world of work, provide targeted training for people and make it clear which tasks are changing.”

38 per cent can work with the company’s AI applications

AI has already found its way into the everyday working lives of many people. 38 per cent of the working population have access to AI applications through their employer, and 27 per cent actively use them. A further 11 per cent have access to AI but have not yet made use of it. On the other hand, 31 per cent of employees have no access to AI tools. A further 26 per cent of the working population assume that their employer does not provide AI, but are unsure about this assessment. 4 per cent are unwilling or unable to provide any information.

Note on methodology: The data is based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. A total of 1,003 people in Germany aged 16 and over were interviewed by telephone, including 550 employees. The survey took place between calendar weeks 8 and 11 of 2026. The overall survey is representative. The questions asked were: “To what extent do the following statements apply to you?” and “Does your company offer AI for employees?”.