General conditions for AI are deteriorating

The report by the Institute of the German Economy (IW) and the German Digital Economy Association (BVDW), which will be published annually from now on, examines the progress of artificial intelligence (AI) in Germany's economy and society as well as the framework conditions for it.

The year 2019 is taken as the reference year. Overall, the importance of artificial intelligence in Germany increased from 2019 to 2020. The AI Index increased by 7.85 percent to 107.85. The growth is primarily due to the importance of AI in the economy as the biggest driver (+6.39 percent) and in society (+1.85 percent). The business environment, on the other hand, deteriorated by -0.39 percent.

This does not apply to all individual indicators: Scientific publications and the digital infrastructure in particular have developed positively. The availability of know-how measured by successfully completed computer science final examinations has also improved. However, the negative developments in collaborations between research and companies and the decreasing thematization of AI in politics clearly cloud this positive picture.

Study author Henry Goecke of IW says: "In principle, we are pleased that AI is advancing. However, there are still obstacles. For example, a lack of legal certainty is a challenge for many companies. At the same time, however, overregulation must be avoided at all costs."

The BVDW welcomes the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry on AI in Germany. The digital association takes a positive view of the initial work results that have become public. But the commission's final report has not yet been published. In addition, according to the study, there are still open legal questions about liability, ethical standards and intellectual property.