• 65 per cent want the administration to be a pioneer in artificial intelligence
• Smart Country Convention kicks off in Berlin
• 18,000 visitors expected from 30 September to 2 October

The majority of citizens in Germany would like public authorities and agencies to use AI to process applications. 7 per cent want AI to automatically review and decide on their own applications. 17 per cent would like AI to carry out the review, but ultimately have a human being decide on applications, and 39 per cent would like a human being to continue to be responsible for reviewing and deciding, but have AI check the result again. 31 per cent reject any use of AI for their applications. These are the results of a representative survey of 1,005 people aged 18 and over in Germany, which were published today at the opening of the Smart Country Convention in Berlin. Two-thirds (65 per cent) of the population believe that public administration should be a pioneer in the use of AI. 44 per cent say that many tasks in public authorities could be taken over by AI, while 35 per cent are certain that AI could help combat staff shortages in public authorities. Even today, 43 percent would generally prefer to talk to an AI assistant rather than a human being if it meant they could avoid waiting times and opening hours. Conversely, one-fifth (20 percent) use AI themselves when contacting public authorities, for example to draft letters or fill out applications. ‘Artificial intelligence can make government offices and agencies more efficient, more effective and more citizen-friendly. AI is the key technology for realising the modernisation of government announced by the federal government,’ says Bitkom President Dr Ralf Wintergerst. ‘The Smart Country Convention showcases possible applications and offers an ideal platform for exchanging experiences.’

At the opening of the three-day Smart Country Convention, Dr Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digitalisation and State Modernisation, said: “Our administration must become better, more efficient and completely digital. My goal is to make analogue visits to government offices superfluous – because digital is more convenient, faster and cheaper. An administration that functions digitally makes an important contribution to strengthening trust in government action. Artificial intelligence in particular can lead to a major productivity boost, overcome staff shortages and create additional capacity for the really important tasks. The Smart Country Convention is the right place to exchange best practices and bring convincing applications to the market.”

Dr Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin, says: ‘The Smart Country Convention is the place where the digital transformation of the public sector becomes visible. Together with politics, administration, business and science, we are creating the blueprint for a modern, digital Germany.’

Driving force behind digitalisation at the Smart Country Convention

The Smart Country Convention is a combination of a congress, more than 70 workshops, an expo and networking opportunities, focusing on the digitalisation of cities, public authorities and the public sector. For the first time, the exhibition area has been expanded to three exhibition halls. More than 18,000 participants, 470 exhibitors and 700 speakers from business, administration and politics are expected to attend. Among those attending are Dr Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digitalisation and Public Administration, Karin Prien, Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Andrea Nahles, Chair of the Federal Employment Agency, and Aletta von Massenbach, Chair of the Management Board at Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH (BER). Topics range from AI and data usage to cloud solutions and IT infrastructure to digital participation, sustainability and smart city solutions, for example for energy supply and transport.

Information on the programme, exhibitors and participation is available at www.smartcountry.berlin.

Note on methodology: The information is based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. A total of 1,005 people in Germany aged 18 and over were interviewed by telephone. The survey took place between calendar weeks 27 and 32 of 2025. The survey is representative.