German workers with deep AI knowledge fear job displacement most as training lags

A representative survey of more than 2,000 people in Germany reveals a striking paradox in the modern workplace. Approximately 43 percent of respondents with very strong artificial intelligence knowledge expect the technology to soon take over their work.

This figure is notably higher than the share among those with less understanding of the technology. Peter Buxmann, who led the TU Darmstadt study conducted with YouGov, described this pattern as both remarkable and worrying. "Those who understand AI best are also the most aware of its disruptive potential," he noted.

For European businesses and investors, the data suggests that vulnerability is defined by output rather than industry sector. Employees whose daily work produces text, analysis, reports, code, or presentation slides face the highest exposure to automation.

The anxieties driving this sentiment are notably practical rather than speculative. Hallucinations and data protection concerns top the list of workplace worries, ranking well ahead of fears regarding machine superintelligence, which only 40 percent of respondents consider likely.

Demographic trends further invert conventional assumptions about technological adoption. Younger workers report higher levels of anxiety than their older counterparts, and concern regarding job security has risen across every occupational group since last year’s edition of the survey.

The most pressing figure for employers, however, is the profound lack of workplace preparation. Just 15 percent of surveyed respondents have received any form of artificial intelligence training.

This readiness deficit persists despite eighteen months of regulatory pressure. Article 4 of the AI Act has applied since 2 February 2025, obliging providers and deployers of these systems to implement measures supporting staff literacy.

The regulation does not set a specific proficiency level and binds only organizations actively using such systems. Consequently, the 15 percent figure represents a broader readiness gap rather than a strict compliance failure.

Addressing this deficit requires more than corporate reassurance. Buxmann emphasizes the need for genuine training and honest dialogue, warning that the cost of job displacement extends far beyond lost income for the European workforce.