Bitkom survey: Companies often surprised by AI costs
Company bosses in Germany are increasingly focusing on Artificial Intelligence, according to a survey by Bitkom. However, the picture is mixed.
C-level says AI increases efficiency.
(Image: Blue Planet Studio/Shutterstock.com)
How do companies view digitalization? A survey of 604 companies with at least 20 employees, commissioned by the digital association Bitkom, aims to find this out regularly. 93 percent of companies see advantages for themselves through digitalization, only 5 percent see disadvantages. However, half of the companies report difficulties in managing digitalization, and two-thirds see disadvantages due to their own slow progress.
Lack of marketable solutions remains consistently high
Two-thirds cite lack of time internally as the main obstacle, and about half cite lack of financial resources, although the latter seem to be decreasing slightly compared to the previous year. On the other hand, there is a significant increase, albeit at a low level overall, in the lack of willingness among the workforce and uncertainty about the economic benefits. Externally, data protection requirements (77 percent), the lack of skilled workers (70 percent), and technical security requirements (61 percent) continue to be seen – although a lack of marketable solutions has also been increasingly lamented in recent years.
Three out of five companies still see significant room for improvement when it comes to utilizing existing data. 29 percent state that they have already taken concrete measures, and 43 percent plan to do so. At least five percent believe they are already utilizing all their data. However, since the survey involved company executives and board members, this data basis should be treated with caution – it is not necessarily known at this level what data is actually available and thus usable.
Management level considers AI efficient
Artificial intelligence has clearly arrived at the "C-level". 41 percent report using AI in their company, and 48 percent are planning or discussing it. While only 30 percent of the companies using it see themselves as pioneers, no surveyed representative of company management considered the opportunity to be missed.
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Accordingly, two-thirds want to expand AI use in the future, and one-third want to maintain it at the same level. The main reason for this is the perceived increase in efficiency: one-fifth of companies report having reduced jobs as a result of AI implementation. Nearly half also believe that this has improved the quality of their products or services. Internal processes in particular have been accelerated by the use of AI, according to more than half of the surveyed company executives and managing directors who use artificial intelligence. However, this is not demonstrably proven here either.
Cost surprises included
The big downside: one-third of these companies were surprised by the costs, according to the survey results. He cannot yet explain it in detail, explains Bitkom President Ralf Wintergerst in response to a heise online inquiry, but in conversations, many companies explain that AI agents often require more attention from classic employees than previously thought. However, he does not want to speak of naivety regarding AI costs. The fact that the use of AI applications has caused higher legal consulting costs has not become a major issue within Bitkom so far.
Interest in quantum computing among company management is still hesitant: Just behind the topic of blockchain, only five percent of companies are planning or discussing the topic, according to their management, and no one mentioned it as being in use. For comparison: drones are reportedly in use at a quarter of companies, with another quarter planning or discussing them.
(afl)
