Artificial intelligence and autonomy at work: empirical insights from Germany
Giering, Oliver ; Kirchner, Stefan
Journal for Labour Market Research
2025
59
20
1-15
artificial intelligence ; quality of working life ; working conditions ; digitalisation
Working conditions
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12651-025-00401-5
English
"Artificial intelligence (AI) is a prominent topic regarding the digitalisation of work and its diffusion is expected to radically change job quality. Overall, there exists a large discrepancy between discursive expectations and quantitative empirical evidence. In this article, we use a novel module from the German Socio-Economic Panel to examine the overall prevalence of AI at work, the determinants that increase the likelihood of AI use, and its association with autonomy. The results show that 38% of German workers use AI, and AI use is associated with the use of specific digital technologies. Workers in high-level, non-routine occupations are more likely to use AI, particularly in comparison to manual workers. Moreover, the association between AI and autonomy is merely superficial and cannot be properly evaluated without considering workplace preconditions."
This work is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Digital
The ETUI is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the ETUI.