Only about 5% of employees in Germany are worried that artificial intelligence could threaten their jobs within the next five years, according to a new survey by the health insurer AOK’s Scientific Institute (WIdO).
Two-thirds of respondents said they were “not at all concerned,” while another 23% were “rather unconcerned” about AI’s impact on their job security.
The survey also revealed limited knowledge about AI. Even in companies where it is already in use, just under 40% of employees said they had received any related training. Nearly half of respondents said they “roughly” understood what AI means, while 47% believed they could explain it fairly well. Only 5% considered themselves experts.
WIdO director Helmut Schröder said he was surprised by the widespread lack of concern, noting that studies by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) suggest that roughly 38% of jobs in Germany involve tasks that could be largely automated. He warned that AI systems could also take over more complex professional roles.
According to the survey, 42% of respondents said AI is already being used in their workplace, while 8.5% reported concrete plans to introduce it and 15% said it was being discussed. Only 22% said AI was not yet an issue in their work environment, and just 12% believed it would never be relevant to their field.
The survey was conducted in April among 2,490 employees.
Source – https://www.dw.com/en/germany-news-few-workers-fear-ai-job-threat-survey-shows/