Research shows social divides in how Germans use and perceive Generative AI

A new study reveals that Germans are deeply divided in how they perceive the rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), such as ChatGPT, and how they use it in their daily and professional lives.

“These divides matter,” said Professor Florian Stoeckel, who led the study. “They affect access to opportunities, digital inclusion, and ultimately who gets to shape the future as work and society change through AI.”

When asked whether they see GenAI as a threat to their own job security, an opportunity, or both, Germans are almost evenly split: 26 percent see GenAI as a threat, 37 percent view it as both a threat and an opportunity, and 36 percent see it as an opportunity.

The perception of GenAI’s impact is far from uniform and varies sharply by gender, education, occupation, and AI usage.

Women are more likely to see GenAI as a threat to their job security (34 percent) than men (20 percent). Education also matters: only 16 percent of university graduates see AI as a threat, compared to 31 percent of those without a degree.

Professionals and managers are the least concerned: just 14 percent see AI as a threat. That figure rises to 27 percent among people in administrative, sales, or service roles, and to 30 percent among those in manual jobs. In contrast, professionals and managers are the group most likely to see GenAI as a job opportunity.

The most important dividing line, however, is between users and non-users of GenAI. Among those who use GenAI either at work or in their private lives only 13 percent see it as a threat. Among non-users, that number jumps to 37 percent.

“We see that GenAI is perceived very differently along lines of division — including gender, education, and occupation,” said Stoeckel. “While this might not be surprising, it is crucial to understand that concerns about AI are not evenly distributed. These divides risk deepening existing inequalities.”

Professor Stoeckel said: “We recently did a similar survey in the UK and found a similar pattern in many respects.” While the specific numbers differ between Germany and the UK, the researchers find striking similarities in who is concerned and who is using GenAI. In both countries, supporters of far-right parties are more likely to see GenAI as a threat to their job security (Reform UK voters in Britain and AfD voters in Germany). In contrast, Conservative (UK) and CDU/CSU (Germany) voters are more likely to see AI as a job opportunity.

“Political parties are not yet taking clear positions on GenAI, but as the technology transforms more aspects of professional and private life, parties will have to do so and take the concerns of their voters into account. These concerns differ between supporters of different parties.“

Similarities between the UK and Germany also emerge when looking at AI usage. People under 30 are leading adoption, both in their private lives and at work. More than half of respondents under 30 use AI in both contexts. Men are more likely to use GenAI than women, and university graduates use it more than those without degrees. Usage is most widespread among professionals and managers.

The data were collected by YouGov through an online survey of 1,057 German adults. The results were weighted to reflect the German population by age, gender, education, and region.

A report with top-line results for Germany and the UK is available at: www.florianstoeckel.eu