Overview

• Just 20 percent of German workers have completed employer-provided AI training, while 70 percent received no offer and 6 percent opted out of available courses.
• The EU AI Act, in force since February 2025, requires firms to ensure all AI users—including freelancers, temps and service providers—possess adequate AI competence.
• Companies that have not met the training mandate risk regulatory breaches under the law.
• The survey reports significant workplace anxiety, with 14 percent fearing AI could replace their own roles and 33 percent expecting their bosses to be supplanted.
• Bitkom president Ralf Wintergerst warns that untrained staff may misuse AI tools and urges tailored, continuous training on capabilities, limits and data security.