Germany's workforce embraces AI while study warns of its sway over news consumption

A Deloitte Global 2026 Gen Z and Millennial Survey of 22,595 respondents from 44 countries found that 74 % of German Gen Z and Millennials actively use AI tools such as ChatGPT in their daily work, up from about 57 % a year earlier. Respondents cite AI for learning opportunities (79 %), career advice (72 %) and stress management (67 %). However, roughly one‑third believe their employers are unprepared for AI‑driven change, and only about 60 % trust senior leadership to handle AI effectively.

A separate Agora Digital analysis of 675 news queries to chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexion and Google AI examined nearly 5,000 source citations. The study showed that AI models often draw from a narrow set of established media but also include dubious or disinformation sites without warning, acting as new gatekeepers of information. This practice reduces direct traffic to news sites – German webpages lose an estimated 265 million clicks per month – and raises concerns about transparency, accountability and the impact on public opinion formation.