One fifth of Germans have already tried ChatGPT  

• 8 out of 10 have at least heard of it 
• Two thirds expect ChatGPT & Co. to change our lives

Berlin, 31 May 2023 - Composing a reply to an email, writing the whimsical speech for a 75th birthday or summarising a long technical essay - with ChatGPT and other applications based on generative artificial intelligence, these tasks can be completed in a matter of minutes. Around one fifth of people in Germany (19 percent) have already used ChatGPT. Another quarter (25 per cent) can imagine doing so in the future. At the same time, however, 21 percent have never heard of ChatGPT. These are the results of a representative survey of 1,002 people aged 16 and over in Germany on behalf of Bitkom. "We are currently experiencing how artificial intelligence is entering our professional and private everyday life. In the future, many tasks will be easier, faster and better with AI support. That's why we need to start today to empower everyone to be able to use these technologies," says Bitkom President Achim Berg. 

So far, younger people are clearly ahead in AI use. Among 16- to 29-year-olds, more than one-third (37 per cent) have already tried ChatGPT, among 30- to 49-year-olds it is one-fifth (20 per cent), among 50- to 64-year-olds it is 18 per cent, among 65- to 74-year-olds still 12 per cent and only 2 per cent among 75-year-olds and older.

Around two thirds of German citizens (67 percent) expect ChatGPT & Co. to change our lives. 61 percent want more knowledge to be imparted about AI applications like ChatGPT because they will be part of everyday life in the future. Among the younger 16 to 29 year-olds, the proportion is even significantly higher at 75 percent. And around half of them think that AI is a great opportunity for more digital participation (50 percent) and makes it easier to use the internet (49 percent). Berg: "With an AI that understands our language, the barrier to entry into the digital world is set at zero." 

However, many people also have concerns. For example, 44 percent say that AI applications like ChatGPT scare them. Among younger people up to the age of 29, the figure is only 27 percent, but among those aged 65 and over, it is a majority of 61 percent. 51 percent of all Germans want these AI applications to be banned in schools and universities, 41 percent fear that certain professions will no longer be needed because of them.