Germany's federal ministries show uneven AI use in speech preparation

The German Chancellery and several federal ministries handle artificial‑intelligence tools for drafting speeches differently. Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Chancellor’s office chief Thorsten Frei personally craft their speeches, using AI only for research support, according to a written response to Der Spiegel.

The Chancellery follows the Interior Ministry’s AI‑in‑administration guidelines and has no separate directive. The Finance Ministry writes speeches entirely without AI, relying on an internal AI‑use instruction that limits AI to specific, approved systems. The Foreign Ministry also prepares speeches without AI, referring to a 2024 AI charter that emphasizes human control.

In contrast, the Agriculture Ministry allows AI to assist with wording, and the Labour Ministry (BMAS) uses AI sparingly for research and drafting support, always subject to human review. Overall, AI is employed mainly as a research aid, never for producing full speech texts, and each ministry operates under its own internal rules.