Large Companies Increasingly Rely on AI

The German economy ranks in the middle of the European pack when it comes to the use of artificial intelligence. The technology is particularly prevalent among large companies with more than 250 employees, especially in the IT and service sectors, according to the ifo Institute.

Many German companies have already discovered artificial intelligence in one form or another and want to expand its use. Among large companies with more than 250 employees, a third are already using AI. Leaders in this field are the IT industry and business-related service providers, as the ifo Institute announced. In a European comparison, Germany holds a respectable position in the upper middle tier, trailing behind Denmark and Finland but well ahead of France.

AI to Combat Skilled Labor Shortages and Boost Efficiency

Artificial intelligence can help mitigate labor and skilled worker shortages and increase efficiency, emphasizes Manfred Gößl, managing director of the Bavarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “AI can ensure that our standard of living is maintained despite demographic changes,” quotes him Channelobserver.

Therefore, he advocates that the implementation of EU regulations on AI use should not impose additional burdens on the German economy.

According to an ifo survey, German companies primarily use AI for text and data analysis, as well as for automating production. Key areas of application include IT security, marketing, production, and accounting.

There is significant potential in the industrial sector

However, despite increased efficiency potential in logistics or medicine, for example, many companies still hesitate to introduce AI tools. The main reasons for this, according to ifo Institute director Oliver Falk, include a lack of expertise and problems integrating these tools into existing business processes, as well as concerns about legal issues and data protection. He therefore urges companies to invest in training their employees to fill knowledge gaps.

That larger companies are bolder and more adventurous in introducing AI than small and medium-sized enterprises aligns with the experiences of Axians. Particularly in the industrial sector, which is heavily supported by the IT service provider, there is a high demand, for example among many suppliers. However, there is a lack of experience and the courage to introduce AI solutions.

There are many opportunities, especially in the evaluation and further analysis (Advanced Analytics) of machine data, waiting to be exploited.

Axians and the OT specialist Actemium support companies in this regard, as well as in the IoT connection of sensors and the migration of entire production plants from the edge to the cloud.

Source title image: Adobe Stock / Gejsi

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Translated from the German original using artificial intelligence. The German version is authoritative.