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Since its adoption in November 2018, Germany's AI strategy has been updated once in 2020 to adapt to the evolving AI landscape and strengthen Germany's leadership in AI research, development and application. The main focus of the strategy is to build and expand the AI ecosystem in Germany and Europe, promote the widespread adoption of AI, and increase the visibility of outstanding AI initiatives and structures.
The strategy emphasizes responsible and public-oriented development of artificial intelligence, aiming to make it a clear feature of "artificial intelligence made in Europe". In addition, the updated strategy also emphasizes environmental and climate protection, as well as promoting international and European cooperation in epidemic control and sustainability.
To achieve these goals, a number of key measures have been outlined:
AI Expert Development: Aims to train, attract and retain more AI experts to meet the growing needs of the AI industry.
Research Infrastructure: Emphasis on building influential and internationally renowned research structures. This includes providing state-of-the-art artificial intelligence and computing infrastructure to maintain global competitiveness.
Artificial Intelligence Ecosystems: Germany plans to create artificial intelligence ecosystems with international impact, which are driven by high-quality research and knowledge transfer structures. These ecosystems aim to promote the application of research results in business, especially in the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector, and to promote innovation in start-ups.
Quality Infrastructure: The strategy emphasizes the importance of building and expanding quality infrastructure to ensure safe, secure, and trustworthy AI. This involves creating an appropriate regulatory framework to support innovative and human-centered AI applications.
Civil Society Engagement: The strategy emphasizes the importance of civil society networks and their contributions to the public good in the development and use of AI.
Germany's updated AI strategy emphasizes strengthening the country's AI capabilities, fostering cooperation, and ensuring the responsible use of AI technologies. The strategy reflects Germany's commitment to maintaining a competitive edge in AI research and applications while addressing pressing global challenges in areas such as health and the environment.
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The German government's AI investment strategy has been fairly robust, stressing the importance of human capital, even amid recession fears caused by high energy costs and stiff competition from electric car makers.
In 2020, the government pledged to invest $5.4 billion in AI by 2025. In 2023, the government announced plans to double AI research funding, adding more than $1 billion by 2025. The funding will help establish 150 new AI research labs at universities, expand data centers, and increase accessibility to public datasets.
While these figures may seem modest compared to global leaders such as the United States and China, Germany remains the most important player in the field of artificial intelligence within the European Union.
Despite extensive efforts by the German government, private sector investment in AI has not kept pace. Although the number of AI startups in Germany doubled by 2023, private investment in 2022 was relatively low ($2.35 billion).
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