German Data Protection Chief Warns of 'Shadow AI' as Firms See Easy Path to Replace Academics with Technology
13.06.2026 - 02:02:22 | boerse-global.de
Companies in Germany that deploy artificial intelligence are increasingly confident they can substitute lower-skilled workers for university graduates, according to a new ifo Institute survey. The finding comes as data protection authorities sound the alarm over the rapid, unregulated spread of AI tools inside businesses.
The survey, released on June 12 and based on roughly 3,000 companies, shows 19.2 percent of AI-using firms consider it easy or very easy to replace academics with less-educated staff. In the retail sector the figure jumps to 28.6 percent. Overall, 54.5 percent of all German companies now use AI solutions, and 15 percent believe long-term professional experience can also be offset by technology.
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Yet a majority — 55.4 percent — still view the replacement of highly qualified workers as difficult or impossible. The shift, the report suggests, stems from AI's growing ability to process complex tasks in a way that makes them accessible to employees with lower qualifications.
The rush to adopt AI is outpacing corporate governance, the data also reveals. A January analysis found that while 74 percent of large enterprises with more than 2,000 employees have an AI strategy, only 34 percent can actually execute it. Complicated IT infrastructures and a lack of specialist knowledge are the primary bottlenecks. A separate study from earlier this year added that just 16 percent of firms feel adequately prepared in talent management for the transformation.
These gaps have caught the attention of regulators. On the same day the ifo survey was published, the state data protection commissioner for Lower Saxony issued a stark warning about "shadow AI" — the use of private AI accounts for professional purposes. Employers must not tolerate such practices, he said, because they lead to massive data breaches. The EU AI Act, he stressed, requires companies to establish clear rules for the use of technology in the workplace.
The need for human oversight was underscored by new research from the SAIL research network. In tests, ChatGPT reversed its decisions on personnel matters in 99.9 percent of cases after just eight simulated dissenting voices. The finding highlights how easily AI systems can be influenced and reinforces the necessity of keeping humans in the loop.
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On June 11, at the Haufe HR Online Conference, sociologist Steffen Mau from Berlin's Humboldt University placed the trends in a broader social context. Meritocracy, he argued, is losing ground, and career advancement is once again more dependent on family background. AI could help by focusing on individual learning curves rather than simply filtering résumés, he added.
Behind the strategic and ethical debates, technical integration continues. SAP AppHaus and NTT Data Business Solutions are expanding their partnership to embed AI directly into cloud ERP systems, aiming to replace isolated pilot projects with scalable solutions. Meanwhile, fintech firm Pleo announced AI agents for financial management that will enter testing in July, automating invoice checking and bookkeeping — areas with significant efficiency gaps. The ETEM occupational health and safety association sees potential in AI assistants for workplace safety but insists on consistent human verification of every output.
