100 hours less work per year – is that possible?

Up to 100 hours of work: This is how much time artificial intelligence could save each year. This was the result of a recently published study. The backgrounds.

Employees in Germany could save many hours of work per year if they relied on artificial intelligence. This was the result of a study recently carried out by IW Consultant and Google. The two companies examined the potential of digital technologies and artificial intelligence for the economy and society.

They also looked for an answer to the question of how Germany could benefit from intelligent technologies. Using company data, case studies, model calculations and online surveys, they created an overview of the possible effects of AI on the world of work.

100 hours less work thanks to artificial intelligence

The study found that employees could save up to 100 hours of work per year in the future by using generative AI. In addition, the technology could contribute 330 billion euros to gross value creation in Germany. For example, the use of AI tools could provide significant increases in productivity.

The numbers show how crucial the use of AI will be in the next few years to ensure the competitiveness of companies in this country.

Around 600,000 companies in Germany are already using artificial intelligence. This corresponds to a share of around 17 percent. The success is visible: While 19 percent of companies using AI report an increase in employees, this is only the case in six percent of workplaces that are not yet using AI.

“In order to fully exploit the value creation potential of 330 billion euros, more than 50 percent of companies must use AI,” says the study. However, around 40 percent of the employers surveyed consider this to be likely. Another 46 percent are already planning to invest in AI technology so that it can take over tasks that were previously carried out by humans.

AI: Employees should take on other tasks

Anyone who is now worried about their jobs obviously doesn’t need to worry: companies want to invest the freed-up work capacity in value-adding tasks. They also want to hire more people to help develop the AI ​​applications. Other studies have also shown in the past that intelligent technology does create new jobs.

In addition, the employees surveyed also seem to see the potential of artificial intelligence in the workplace: 75 percent believe that generative AI tools will help them work more productively.

While artificial intelligence has only recently been noticed by society at large, the technology has been an issue in business and politics for a long time. According to the study, AI has been on the priority list of European industrial policy since 2019. In addition, the federal government published a national strategy for artificial intelligence in 2018.

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