Artificial intelligence usage has become more widespread across Germany, with three fifths (59%) of Germans (aged 14 or over) using AI tools at least occasionally, the latest ARD/ZDF Media Study has found.
According to the study, usage levels vary significantly by age cohort, with 92% of 14–29-year-olds using AI tools regularly, compared with 15% of those aged 70 and over.
Other findings from the study include that 54% of users say that they are sceptical of AI-generated results and regard them as information that may need to be checked, 81% consider source citations to be very or somewhat important. Only 43% believe AI source citations are transparent.
Media consumption
“AI will massively change media consumption, and we already see in the study that younger people in particular access information differently through these tools,” commented Florian Hager, director general of Hessischer Rundfunk.
“As public service media, we must prepare for this and actively use our role: as a civic leader against deepfakes, as a mediator of media literacy, and as a media organisation that uses AI responsibly.”
Streaming services
Elsewhere, the study found that public-service streaming services now reach more than half of Germany’s population – ARD’s streaming network reaches 56%, while ZDF reaches 51%.
YouTube remains the leading video streaming platform in Germany, with a reach of 71%, while Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have almost identical overall reach. In audio and music streaming, Spotify remains the most-used service at 44%, followed by YouTube Music at 30%.
“Streaming services are further expanding their role as key access points to media content,” added Dr. Florian Kumb, director of audience at ZDF. “The fact that public broadcasters’ own streaming services now reach more than half the population is a strong signal for the relevance of our content in the digital space. We want to expand on this – and further develop ZDF’s offerings wherever the public uses our content.”
The study is based on a survey of 2,462 German-speaking people aged 14 and over in Germany. Read more here.
