AI in Germany: Monitoring of Plattform Lernende Systeme shows status quo and potentials

What is the state of Artificial Intelligence (AI) research in Germany? To what extent is the transfer from science to industry successful? Where are skills in AI being taught and how widespread are they among employees? The new AI monitoring of Plattform Lernende Systeme provides key figures on this – and thus shows the status quo as well as development potentials in research and transfer of AI in Germany.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is considered a key technology. Technological developments, practical applications and the influence of AI on life and the world of work are increasingly in focus in science as well as in business and society. The AI monitoring of Plattform Lernende Systeme provides an overview of the development and use of AI in various fields. In the sense of a location description, it uses twelve indicators to present important facts and figures on the aspects of research, competencies and transfer to application in a concise and clear manner.

For its AI monitoring, Plattform Lernende Systeme draws on its own research as well as on meaningful figures collected by renowned research institutes, professional or governmental institutions. Where possible and appropriate, data from other countries is used to enable international comparability. "Artificial Intelligence is a key success factor in digitization and thus essential for the future viability of Germany and Europe. With the AI Monitoring, Plattform Lernende Systeme provides a compact overview of the status quo, development potential and utility of AI in Germany based on valid sources," says Reinhard Ploss, co-chair of Plattform Lernende Systeme.

Renowned research, diverse transfer offers

The AI monitoring shows that Germany is well positioned in AI research. In addition to a large number of (non-) university research institutions, the network of six AI competence centers funded by the federal and state governments forms a central strand of cutting-edge research. To sustainably strengthen AI research, the federal government established 100 additional professorships and numerous junior research groups in recent years as part of the national AI strategy. In an international comparison, Germany currently ranks sixth in terms of scientific AI publications.

To transfer scientific findings into practical applications, a functioning transfer is crucial. In Germany, almost 100 transfer centers have been established in recent years to provide advice and support, particularly to small and medium-sized enterprises, on the introduction of AI technology. In addition, there are a large number of federal and state funding programs that are also primarily aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises. Nevertheless, there is often still reluctance in business to use AI technologies. The numbers of applications for AI patents and the founding of AI startups are rather low or declining in an international comparison.

For the development, but also the use of AI systems in everyday work, basic or in-depth data and AI skills are becoming increasingly important. Students in Germany now find a diverse range of degree programs with AI content in varying depth and with different focuses - this is also shown by the AI monitoring.

The AI monitoring will be updated regularly in the future.